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Teesdale Fire Brigade members and the local community have celebrated their 75-year milestone with displays and activities throughout the day for all ages to enjoy.
More than 70 community members attended the anniversary event last Sunday, 27 October, which showcased one of Teesdale’s original fire trucks from the 1970’s.
Teesdale Fire Brigade was registered on 14 November 1949 and has been providing continuous service and protection to the community ever since.
Teesdale Captain Barry Tomlin said they are a small brigade in a growing town who is proud of their rich history in providing support to major fires across the state and interstate when required.
“We attend more than 100 incidents each year which is an incredible commitment from our 21 operational members,” Barry said.
“When I look back on the notable fires and emergencies our brigade has responded to over the years, it’s quite remarkable.
“From the 2006 Alpine fires, 2009 February bushfires, 2013 Grampians fires, 2019/20 Black summer fires to the more recent Bayindeen and Dereel fires, our crews always step up every time they’re asked.
“Our 16 members who deployed to the 2019/20 fires all received a National Emergency Medal and two members also received a NSW citation which is a fantastic recognition of service.
“Our brigade are a really good bunch of people who show incredible dedication and commitment. We couldn’t do what we do without the support from our families and the broader community.”
“We’re also privileged to have a modern firefighting fleet which is a bit different from beaters and knapsacks used to fight fires back in the day.”
The brigade has been operating out of their current station for the last 40 years and while there isn’t currently much history collated for the past 75 years, the brigade found a local historian to write a book on the brigade that will be launched for the brigade’s 80th anniversary in five years time.
As part of the 75th anniversary event, CFA Board member Beth Davidson presented two service awards – five years of service to Mello Failla and 40 years of service was awarded to Gus Pearl.
Barry has been a CFA volunteer for more than 20 years with three years as Captain. He said with the brigade only 30 minutes from Geelong and people moving from Melbourne for a rural life, their population of around 4,500 is growing.
“While we currently have 25 dedicated volunteers, we’re always looking for more. We did a targeted recruitment drive for more non-operational members last year which successfully gave us a dozen more members,” Barry said.
“Building a steady base of non-operational members which can assist with community engagement is really important and is a strong focus for us so we can ensure there’s a high level of awareness and preparedness.”
Barry encourages anyone keen to join to visit Teesdale Fire Brigade for a chat or go to www.cfa.vic.gov.au/volunteer