As Sunday mornings go, it started out pretty well standard.
You know the usual things checking the trucks and equipment and making sure everything's in working order and in the right place.
Taking time with the new recruits to show them where things are and how they work. Discussing who would be around for the day and how the grass was curing quickly.
Often a few of us will head down to Jojays the local cafe where Lucie, Caitlin, Bec or sometimes even Jo will make us a coffee or special milkshake.
We tend to informally plan out the week for the brigade and relax for a short time before heading home.
But today (18 December) the pager summoned us to a grass and scrub fire nearby.
Leaving the coffee behind we returned to the station and crewed the trucks.
Proceeding Code One (lights and sirens) we may have interrupted the service in the quaint old church opposite the station.
Unfortunately, the lights and sirens made little difference to the drivers who were hell bent on getting somewhere, oblivious to the fire truck attempting to move on to the road.
On arrival, we discovered an out-of-control burn off that had spread into the freshly mown hay rows with a stiff wind pushing the fire through the paddocks.
First on scene, Doreen tanker pushed on down the flank to attack the head of the fire while Incident Controller Lt Brooke called for additional tankers.
The crews on scene worked well together containing the fire to approximately five acres.
Units on scene were:
DOREEN TANKER
DOREEN ULTRA LIGHT
ARTHURS CREEK TANKER 1
ARTHURS CREEK TANKER 2
DOREEN FCV
MERNDA TANKER 2
YARRAMBAT TANKER 2
PRIVATE WATER TANKER
In the end we returned to the station to clean up before heading back to the cafe for a well-deserved coffee and special milkshake.
Author: Robert Bury