Grady Tyson joined CFA four years ago as a passionate junior member of the Tatura Fire Brigade.
“My dad’s Second Lieutenant at Tatura Fire Brigade so I’ve been involved for a very long time, as long as I can remember I was following him around the station,” Grady said.
“It's something I felt I always wanted to be involved in because it’s a great way to give back.”
At 16, Grady thinks its important young people are encouraged to step up to leadership roles to make sure the CFA is sustainable.
“It’s extremely important for brigades in Victoria to foster their junior members, as to ensure that we can have an active and large age range of participation in and around our communities,” Grady said.
CFA District 22 recently held a Youth Leadership Development Day to support networking and create leadership and development opportunities for young members.
Grady was one of 19 CFA members from Districts 12, 22 and 24 to attend the Youth Leadership Development Day. The day aimed to develop the leadership capacity of young people, strengthen inter-generational relationships within the CFA community and strengthen the network of young CFA members.
Grady said the development day had provided him with a great opportunity to learn from experienced individuals and to develop his leadership skills.
“A huge standout for me was getting to learn from people who have been in the industry for a long time and to develop my own leadership skills, not only in CFA but also my everyday life,” Grady said.
“With the aging population of members we are working toward encouraging younger members to take on leadership roles within the brigade, so it’s an exciting thing to be involved in.”
The development day taught members about the seven key qualities of leadership, effective communication in a leadership position and explored strategies for developing resilience and strengthening relationships through networking.
Grady is also taking part in the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme, which aims to develop teamwork, increase self-awareness and create a strong sense of community responsibility.
“It’s a very exciting opportunity for my own personal leadership development and hopefully I’ll be able to bring back skills to share with other youth in my brigade and across my region,” Grady said.
“I am very lucky to have secured such a great opportunity through CFA District 22. I feel extremely privileged as the only CFA member to have been chosen for this experience, and look forward to maximising my opportunities for learning and giving back to my community."
The program will run in January 2018 and involves a crew of 24 young Australians and nine specially trained Royal Australian Navy crew embarking on an 11-day adventure at sea.
Author: CFA Media