As 2018 comes to an end, I want to take a moment to thank all at CFA for their efforts throughout the year.
Victoria has faced a variety of significant threats throughout these past 12 months, and our people have done what they do best in that time - protect lives and property.
I think back to the St Patricks Day fires in March, which drew around 80 CFA vehicles and over 400 firefighters, all of whom worked tirelessly through day and night to contain the blazes.
More recently, deployments of firefighters dropped everything to assist with fires in Queensland and California.
I’m very proud of the willingness of CFA’s personnel to go and assist our state and international counterparts during their time in need.
Just this weekend, our people showed their adaptability in assisting SES during the floods in the North East and North West.
There are many more examples I could mention when referring to the selfless attitude of our people.
This year marked 20 years since the Longford disaster and Linton tragedy. These were reminders of the dangers of the industry we are in, but also of the bravery of our people, and of the tight knit family that CFA is.
In what is continuing to shape up as a long and difficult fire season, I want to acknowledge that our commitment to protecting lives and properties means many of you will spend time away from your loved ones.
The success of our organisation is built on the extraordinary commitment of our volunteers, staff, and community as a whole.
In this past year, I saw our organisation come together to support each other through some difficult times and this is where I saw the CFA values reflected in our people and unwavering dedication to protecting the Victorian community.
Continue to look after one another, and have a safe and merry Christmas.