Lara Fire Station enjoyed a day of food, fun and family entertainment on Sunday 10 December to welcome career firefighters to the community.
About 100 people came along to the Lara Fire Brigade Community Day to enjoy a free morning tea and giveaways while the children bounced away on the jumping castle, played Connect 4 and tried their hands at ‘putting out a fire’ on a simulator.
There were drill demonstrations and community safety information on hand to update community members on the latest fire safety information this summer.
Attendees included City of Greater Geelong Councillor Anthony Aitken, Emergency Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley and CFA South West Assistant Chief Officer Rohan Luke.
Following the public event, around 60 volunteer and career firefighters and their families got together for a welcome barbecue to get to know each other in a social setting.
Lara Fire Station Officer-In-Charge Geoff McGill described the event as succeeding in both recognising the contribution of volunteer members and introducing career firefighters to the brigade in a positive way.
“Our volunteers are so dedicated to the Lara community, responding to around 350 incidents a year. CFA has increased support for volunteers in line with community growth by integrating the brigade on 8 December,” Mr McGill said.
“It was so good to see everyone mingling together in a low-key environment.”
Lara Fire Brigade First Lieutenant Roger Buckle agreed the day was a success, adding it provided an opportunity to showcase the latest equipment and facilities at the station.
“We had a lot of people come through during the day to see renovations at the station, while meeting the new career firefighters and chatting with volunteers,” Mr Buckle said.