Sweet incentive for Noojee recruits

The brigade developed the idea of turning up to the front door of new residents to the area, with a box of chocolates in hand. 

Noojee Fire Brigade Captain David Blacker said in their small tight-knit town of around 200 people, everyone knows each other so when a removalist truck rolls up, it’s easy to spot. 

“We came up with the idea as a nice way to welcome new residents to the area, but to also encourage them to come and visit the station to learn more about CFA,” David said. 

“It’s also a great opportunity to bring them up to speed with safety messaging, especially if they have come from the city and it’s their first time living in a country town where there’s bushfire risk. 

“The Gippsland region is well known to have high fire risk each year and historically we’ve tragically been hit by many major bushfires, most recently in the 2019/20 season. 

“So it’s important for our brigade to be well resourced and have teams on the ground ready to go.” 

The brigade has been very successful with their creative chocolate box gesture, with four new recruits over the past year.  

Noojee Fire Brigade 1st Lt Vicky Clarke, who is their recruitment officer, dedicates her time not only to find new members, but to also help streamline the process for them from start to finish. 

“It’s easy for someone to submit an application online but maintaining that interest can be the tricky part,” Vicky said. 

“I keep the application moving and get them through the General Firefighter Course so they can become Noojee members as fast as possible. 

“This targeted and guided approach has really helped our brigade in securing new members which builds our response capability and further protects our local community.” 

If you’re interested in joining CFA or learning more about volunteering, head to www.cfa.vic.gov.au/volunteer to ‘Give Us Hand’.