On Sunday 19 April, at the Longerenong Training Campus, District 17 hosted an inaugural women’s day aimed at improving networking, building confidence and increasing involvement with CFA.
The event was organised by BASO Louise McGillivray and District Volunteerism Coordinator John Robinson, supported by their D17 colleagues. Training Ground staff led by Chris Rosewall went above and beyond the call of duty to make the day a success, as did D17 staff, led by Operations Manager Dale Russell.
Dale Russell led a session on CFA values and brought out the range of skills within the group. Acting Executive Director OT&V Kate Harrap looked at the future of CFA.
Captain Mary Frost, from the Poolaijelo Brigade, was inspirational in describing her journey to captaincy. She is most supportive of women who take on leadership roles.
District 15 Volunteerism Coordinator Sherene Mounier entertained with her reflections on serving in the Army in a logistics role in Afghanistan and in recent fires in British Columbia. She had a clear message for participants: “Believe in yourself and project confidence”.
Shane Cramer, Brigade Sustainability, gave a presentation focusing on the brigade structure and roles within brigades.
Participants enjoyed a session on Logistics and D17 Training and Development led by Bruce Taberner and Raelene Hardy.
Operations Officer Ian Day led a session on pagers, radio and map reading.
The day concluded with the ladies tackling a variety of fires using a range of firefighting equipment.
For many brigades in D17 with low or declining numbers, it is imperative to engage with female members, giving them greater confidence and support to step up into active and leadership roles.
A similar women’s day is planned by D17 to be held prior to the fire season. This time, participants will be more exposed to firefighting appliances and radio work to build up greater confidence.
Author: Volunteerism