Morwell and surrounds gain new fire truck drivers

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Member News image Amanda Batty, 3rd Lieutenant and Brigade Community Safety Coordinator at Toongabbie Fire Brigade

A new batch of licenced fire truck drivers are getting behind the wheel across Morwell and surrounding brigades following the completion of their Medium Rigid Licence training in April.

An impressive 15 out of the 23 brigades in CFA’s District 27 were involved, with 21 volunteers successfully receiving the licence.

The district was supported by the Valuing Volunteers Program (VVP) with a grant worth over $34,000 to use for the Medium Rigid Licence project which began in September 2021.

The grant was proposed to greatly improve the ability of local brigades to turn out their trucks to emergency incidents and increase the availability of truck drivers to assist when required.

The Morwell area will see an increase in depth and strength within brigades, as CFA now has 21 new members equipped with their Medium Rigid Licence who are ready to get involved.

Amanda Batty, Toongabbie Fire Brigade’s current 3rd Lieutenant and Brigade Community Safety Coordinator was just one of the budding participants who has added the incredible achievement to their name.

“Completing this training is something that I didn’t envisage myself ever doing in the past. But I am already reaping the benefits and am extremely proud I accomplished it,” Amanda said.

“I’ve seen a boost to my confidence, and I’ve been able to add so many additional skills to my work throughout CFA and outside of it too.

“Like many brigades in the northern end of the district, we’ve struggled with low driver numbers, so obtaining my truck licence will really help to assist in protecting our community and our local residents.”

Designed for CFA members who have limited to no truck driving experience, the opportunity also frees up the time of the current pool of limited drivers and increases the capability of brigades.

Naomi Taylor, a Traralgon East firefighter is another member who embraced the opportunity.

“This is another great achievement I’ve been able to tick off thanks to CFA’s large range of learning and development offerings,” Naomi said.

“Not only does this add another driver for our brigade, but it’s also another way I can help to support my community.

“I’d encourage new and existing members to jump on the prospect if it becomes available to them and further enhance their skillset like I’ve been able to.”