It's unusual to hear the owners of new equipment say I hope I don’t get to use it" but that's exactly what some of our local fire brigades have done.
L to R: Luke Ryan Emergency Management Coordinator Mount Alexander Shire, Bill Burris Captain Fryerstown Fire Brigade, Ray Pattle Treasurer Guildford Fire brigade and Chris Athey Fryerstown Fire Brigade at Guildford Fire Station
Mount Alexander Shire through their Community Grants Program has provided Fryerstown, Guildford and Mt Alexander Group with funds to purchase essential equipment. Fryerstown Fire Brigade bought two chainsaws to help with their firefighting duties. Driving on a fireground there can be all sorts of obstacles including branches across roads. These new chainsaws one for each fire truck will allow firefighters to quickly remove branches to clear a path to the fire.
“This will allow the brigade to get to the fire quickly and safely” says Bill Burris Captain of Fryerstown Fire Brigade.
Fire brigades can be called to all sorts of hazards and due to the dangerous nature of firefighting accidents can happen. Many local fire brigades have seen the need for emergency defibrillators as brigades will often be the first on scene of an accident. Guildford Fire Brigade was able to use Mount Alexander grant money to purchase a defibrillator.
Captain Ashley Franklin commented that “the brigade has been busy training with the new defibrillator so if we ever need to use it all our members are confident in the use of such essential equipment. These are time critical emergencies so we need to act fast”.
Unfortunately the defibrillators aren’t supplied with two essential pieces of equipment, resuscitation masks and universal shears. This equipment assists with better outcomes when a defibrillator is used. The Community Grants allowed Mount Alexander Group to purchase this extra equipment for all the fire brigades within the shire who have defibrillators including Guildford and Fryerstown Fire Brigades.
Mount Alexander Shire Emergency Management Coordinator Luke Ryan was on hand to check out the new equipment bought by the brigades.
Local fire brigades are grateful to Mount Alexander Shire for the ability obtain funding through the Community Grants Program. This enables brigades to support the community even if they would prefer not to have to use any of the equipment.