Golden Beach Fire Brigade has commissioned a new $212,000 brigade-owned tanker.
Captain Paula Grosveld said the new four wheel drive light tanker had the capacity to carry 1200 litres of water.
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She said because of its compact size, the tanker was better suited for travelling through soft sand or along overgrown and narrow access tracks. Captain Grosveld said it would also be used for daily patrols along coastal camping areas during fire danger periods, offering added protection to the Golden Beach and Paradise Beach communities and surrounding brigade areas.
She thanked the Golden Beach community for its support over many years of fundraising and also acknowledged the contribution of $23,000 Loch Sport Fire Brigade made towards the purchase of this tanker. To thank the Loch Sport brigade, the Golden Beach brigade presented it with an award winning framed image of two exhausted firefighters sitting in a burnt-out house.
Captain Grosveld said the brigade felt the image captured the spirit of CFA. “It just happens the image which has achieved both national and international recognition was taken by my son Paul,” she added.
She presented the image to Loch Sport Fire brigade Captain Dennis Berg and Noeleen Brown.
During the commissioning ceremony CFA Operations Officer Len Scheetz outlined local fire risk and population trends in the area, particularly during summer.
“The full time population of approximately 550 swells to about 2500 during the summer holiday fire danger period,” he said. “There is an increased risk of camp fires escaping resulting in bushfires, and motor vehicle accidents from increased traffic volumes.”
Mr Scheetz said the Golden Beach brigade was assisted in the purchase of the tanker through the Volunteer Emergency Service Equipment Program grant funded by the state government. He said total project cost for the new tanker was $212,000, with the grant providing $185,333. A brigade contribution of $26,667 plus an additional amount of $6600 for specialist equipment totalled $33,267.
Many thanks to Keith Condratoff for the photos.
Author: Leith Hillard