CFA is collaborating with Lifestyle Communities to provide Fire Equipment Maintenance services at all 22 of their community locations across Victoria.
Members from 17 brigades that provide FEM services will undertake the work at their locations in Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula, Northwest and South east Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, and regionally in Shepparton, Yarrawonga and Warragul.
Fire Equipment Maintenance (FEM) is an important fire prevention activity that ensures fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, fire blankets and fire hose reels are properly maintained and functioning correctly so that they are ready to protect lives and property in the event of an emergency.
There are more than 260 CFA FEM brigades and 1,350 accredited members undertaking FEM across the state.
Industry Fire Prevention Manager Leigh Marsh said working with Lifestyle Communities was a great outcome for CFA’s FEM brigades.
“It provides members with the opportunity to be out in their communities servicing local business and commercial properties, while gaining firsthand knowledge of the layouts, key people and any hazards that may be present on the site for pre-planning and incident response purposes,” he said.
“Through their visits, members can also to build relationships with people in their local community, share fire safety messaging and also discuss improvements that can be made.”
Lifestyle Communities Senior Manager Operations, Performance and Planning Helen Burgess said they were delighted to work with CFA members on fire prevention and safety.
“The staff and homeowners of the Lifestyle Communities are really looking forward to working with the local CFA volunteers across our 22 sites across the state,” she said.
FEM-related activities constitute a significant part of CFA’s industry engagement, with more than 50,000 customer sites visited across the state each year, servicing almost 500,000 pieces of vital fire safety equipment.
In addition to fire safety outcomes, brigades use revenue generated through FEM activities to support the purchase of equipment, vehicles, specialist tools, building works and training. Many brigades use the money generated through FEM to supplement larger funding applications such as those through the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP).
For more information on CFA's FEM services for business and industry visit the CFA website.
Brigades interested in joining the FEM program can find more information on Members Online or call 1300 363 661 or email fem@cfa.vic.gov.au to speak to a member of the FEM team.