General News
15 November, 2023
Local CFA volunteers travel interstate
A STRIKE team of south west Victoria CFA volunteers have returned home after lending a hand fighting fires in Queensland. A number of local CFA volunteers were included in the team including Kim Gration from Brucknell/Ayrford, Josh Williamson from...
A STRIKE team of south west Victoria CFA volunteers have returned home after lending a hand fighting fires in Queensland.
A number of local CFA volunteers were included in the team including Kim Gration from Brucknell/Ayrford, Josh Williamson from Terang, Craig Boyrd from Weerite and Camperdown brigade’s Georgie Gretton.
The team left Camperdown on Friday, November 3 spending the night in Melbourne before travelling to Queensland the following day.
Brucknell/Ayrford first lieutenant Kim Gration said he was pleased to be able to be involved in the taskforce.
He said he has been on about 12 similar trips over his year’s of involvement with the CFA.
“I’ve been in the CFA for about 12 years and I’ve been with the Brucknell/Ayrford group for about five years,” Mr Gration said.
He said it was an “amazing” feeling to be able to volunteer his time on task forces across the country.
“For me, the main thing when we go away on these types of things… there’s a real sense of unity of purpose,” Mr Gration said.
“We all want to help the community.
“It’s amazing being involved.”
He said the taskforce went well, with members largely involved in blacking out on the firegrounds.
“We were at Stanthorpe and we were involved at the fire grounds at Wallangarra and Dalveen,” Mr Gration said.
“On this occasion there was quite a bit of rain before we arrived; by the time we got there the fire was largely out.
“We were charged with blacking out.”
He said residents from the fire affected communities were grateful for the assistance.
“People come up to us and were very thankful for the work we were doing,” Mr Gration said.