Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
Photo: Alistair Walker, Lockwood 2nd Lieutenant
Torrential rain and severe winds were not enough to dampen Lockwood Fire Brigade’s 75-year anniversary festivities on 26 October, as eager members celebrated alongside their community.
The dedicated volunteers captivated a large crowd during the tough conditions with the help of many stakeholders, to hold a joyful community market last Sunday.
Held on the bowling green and within the town hall, stalls were set up for all ages, with Kelly Sports, face painting and badge making for the kids, and a silent auction and raffle on offer for the adults.
Lockwood Fire Brigade Captain of five years and CFA volunteer for 44 years, Dean Heather, said the event was the biggest and most successful he had seen for the brigade.
“There has been such a large amount of work and organisation put into this event by many members of our brigade, and we’re really pleased with how well it turned out,” Dean said.
“Having been involved in the brigade for 25 years, it was exciting to be a part of such a large community engagement day.
“This year we decided to make it a real community affair, hoping to engage more closely with families and it was a great result.
“We had the community engagement vehicle set up so people could refresh their summer fire safety too, and plenty of food and drink to keep the day moving.”
Neighbouring CFA brigades from Kangaroo Flat, Marong, Maiden Gully and Oscar 1 Rescue were on site in support throughout the day coordinating displays with Marong VICSES.
“They battled the weather but were still able to get some target shooting with the hose and water fire extinguishers going which people enjoyed,” Dean said.
Dean said it was particularly special on the weekend to acknowledge their dedicated years of service in front of those they serve.
“We had a certificate provided to us by CFA, unveiled behind red curtains and it was great to have CFA District 2 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Archie Conroy come down to speak,” Dean said.
“We had a number of speeches touching on various stories through the decades.”
As a rural fire brigade specialising in grass and scrub fires, volunteers first operated out of a station on the Calder Highway, before moving to the new and existing site on Crusoe Road in 2002, with better access to the town and more room to house vehicles.
Over the years, brigade members have been deployed to major bushfires including the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, the 2009 fires and the 2019-20 season.
When taking on the captaincy, Dean said it was a good opportunity to start afresh in the brigade and he praised the willingness of the members to put up their hand to help.
“Having identified the strengths of our members, it has made delegation a lot easier and they have been awesome at offering their assistance and expertise,” Dean said.
“We have around 34 members, with 20 operational and a core unit who are able to turn out to each incident. With a highway running through our patch, we do get motor vehicle incidents too.
“I try to acknowledge and thank our members as much as I can for their efforts because I think that matters. You have to give them credit for the work they do, and they appreciate it.”
Dean’s entire family is part of CFA, with his two sons involved with the brigade, the youngest being 17, and his wife Mel a brigade administrative support officer in District 2.
“As a family, CFA has been a pretty big part of our life and my wife used to say as soon as the pager went off it emptied our house,” Dean said.
“Mel has aspirations to start training with the brigade too, to assist with her knowledge and get a handle of what is involved so she has a better understanding in her own work environment.”