Brigades interested in buying or selling equipment ahead of the Mooroopna 2020 State Championships are being encouraged to take advantage of the CFA Brigade Trader Facebook group.
CFA Firefighter Competition brigade representatives came together in Bendigo in April 2019 to discuss ways to strengthen and grow firefighter competitions and Championships. Ideas ranged from the 'here-and-now' tactical type actions to longer term strategic thinking.
One simple, but important, action put forward was to establish a process to help competition brigades who had limited resources or who were new to, or returning to competitions and Championships, to find competition equipment that was not being used.
Rob Waterson, Chair of the Urban Competition and Rules Committee, said “There will be a number of brigades who have ceased to compete that will have competition equipment sitting in their storerooms and back sheds that could be loaned, passed on or sold to those needing equipment. The unused items might include, ladders, reels, hydrants couplings et cetera.”
The good news is that a service designed for this very purpose already exists. It’s called CFA Brigade Trader. Lisa Peters, the administrator of the group, says she would welcome notices from brigades wishing to share their equipment.
Lisa said “today we have two advertisements from brigades wishing to move their competition reels to new homes. CFA Trader is very easy to use and I am able assist those needing some help.”
CFA Trader can be found here or by searching “CFA Brigade Trader” in Facebook. Request to join the group and you will be given access.
Lisa said “The best ways to place a notice on CFA Trader is to create a post including all relevant details and pictures to be approved by the administrators for trade. If you have connectivity issues you may email myself at L.peters@cfa.vic.gov.au detailing the items and I could upload the post for you."
Gerry Neyenhuis, Chair of the Rural Competition Committee, said “CFA Trader offers a simple solution to communicate the availability of competition equipment across the State. I hope it will identify resources that our competition brigades and district competition committees will find very useful”.