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Panton Hill Brigade celebrated their 85th anniversary on Saturday (14 September) in a community focused occasion that was inclusive of all members past and present.
The anniversary was fittingly held at the Panton Hill Firefighters Memorial Park that was established to commemorate the five Panton Hill firefighters that died during the Ash Wednesday 1983 bushfires.
Panton Hill Captain Simon Wallace has been in the role for nine years and said the anniversary celebration was about community and showcasing the brigade.
“We tried to keep it pretty simple and make it more about the community dropping down to say hello,” Simon said.
“We also hoped it could be a good recruitment opportunity and to showcase the brigade.
“We are there to support the community and give them the help they need.”
The anniversary event ran from 11am to 3pm and included a fire truck jumping castle, sausage sizzle and a cake.
The brigade has just completed a five-year project putting an address number on every property in the Panton Hill and Smiths Gully.
“It’s all dirt roads and no street lighting so it is hard to find places,” Simon said
“The community is thrilled with it. It has helped with friends coming over and getting things delivered. The numbers reflect at night, which is a great help when we get a call out.”
Panton Hill Brigade has around 40 members with 30 operational firefighters that respond to 30 to 50 call outs a year.
The brigade is a big supporter of joining strike teams in summer and recently helped out in Queensland and the February Beaufort fires. They also logged 100 hours of work during the 2019/2020 Gippsland fires.