Portarlington Fire Brigade officially opened its new state-of-the-art station last Sunday.
The $2.1 million station was formally opened by Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville after becoming operational earlier this year. The new station replaces the 58-year-old former station and will cater for the brigade’s current and future needs.
Portarlington Captain Darren Nisbet said it was a huge win for the brigade.
“We are in a growing area, with a high number of retirees and holiday makers. The new station will increase our ability to respond to incidents and provide the best service for our community,” he said.
“We have over 40 members in the brigade now, which puts us in a great position to respond to any emergency.
“The new larger and modern station will provide a higher profile as it's in a more central position in the town. Hopefully this will encourage new people to join and raise community awareness of the work we do.”
The new station has three bays and a double garage in the backyard.
“We have rooms in the new station that enhance training opportunities for the brigade and will also be accessible by both internal and external organisations such as other brigades and community groups.”
The new station now also houses a generator which will provide a much-needed resource to the brigade and community in the event of a power outage.
“This means we can operate business as usual with or without power. It will ensure our community gets the response it needs regardless of external factors.”
The station was funded through a $1.9 million government contribution as well as $150,000 from Portarlington CFA, which also fundraised $40,000 towards the project.
The Portarlington Fire Brigade has been protecting lives and property since 1944 and is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary.
“This is the best 75th birthday present a brigade could ask for,” Captain Nisbet said.
“We look forward to serving and protecting our community from this new station for many years to come.”
The new station became operational on 29 January 2019.