After members of Nar Nar Goon Fire Brigade received a firefighting pump from local business Pakenham Pumps during the Bunyip fires, they made the decision to donate it to another volunteer organisation in need - BlazeAid.
BlazeAid is a national volunteer organisation that rebuilds fences and other structures for impacted farmers and rural families in the aftermath of a bushfire.
Since forming in 2009 the group has rebuilt an estimated 7,050 kilometres of fencing. Volunteers coordinate in camps at the staging areas of large fires and set out each day to do whatever they can to help.
Many people who volunteer for BlazeAid are CFA volunteers or fire service volunteers in their own state. The organisation currently has an active camp in Bunyip, where fires burned more than 100,000 hectares in March this year.
Nar Nar Goon Second Lieutenant Justin Seddon said every little bit helps when rebuilding after bushfire.
“BlazeAid’s volunteers do great work and we know the pump will help them rebuild our great area,” Justin said.
“We wanted to see someone benefit and we felt that BlazeAid would get great use out of the pump, particularly for transporting water and transferring water from dams to troughs for animals.
"We were thrilled to be able to donate it to BlazeAid with the blessing of the great people at Pakenham Pumps."
Coordinator of BlazeAid’s Bunyip camp John Anderson said equipment such as the pump added to BlazeAid’s capability, and was greatly appreciated.
“We are able to help farmers return to farming because of the generosity and support we receive from the communities we serve and the wider community in general. We thank the Nar Nar Goon Fire Brigade for their generous donation,” John said.
“The pump and fittings we received will be put to good use. We’ve already manufactured a nozzle for a water spear to enable our volunteers to soften the ground when installing posts. Clearly, this will mean that our volunteers can install fences faster.
“In addition, when we are operating in remote areas that have been burnt, we will be able to take sufficient water with us in the event that there are still stumps that are smouldering."