The brigade put on a series of activities for the local community including skills displays and a bushfire preparedness discussion hosted by Community Education Liaison Bushfire Officer Glen Tarrant.
Glen said the community was engaged and the discussion was productive, with all agreeing that preparation is key.
“It was great to see new community members coming down to participate. Everyone seemed to get a lot out of the discussion and learned about the unique risks that their community faces.”
About 100 people dropped by the station during the Open Day.
The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the official handover of the brigade’s new Ultra-Light Tanker by Harriet Shing MP to Upper Beaconsfield Captain Ian Pinney.
Mr Pinney said that the brigade was delighted to receive the new vehicle.
“The ultra-light’s configuration allows for quick response in steep and hilly terrain which is crucial for fire suppression efforts given the heavily forested parts of our brigade area.”
“The tanker has far superior pumping capabilities to its predecessor and only requires an open car licence to drive which allows a wider proportion of the brigade to operate the vehicle and attend incidents.”
“I’m very happy to receive the tanker on behalf of our brigade and would like to recognise and thank the Government for their support. With summer at our doorstep it will ensure that we can respond quickly with improved suppression capabilities,” Mr Pinney said.
The ultra-light tanker was supported through a $118,500 2018/19 VESEP grant along with a brigade contribution of $21,500.
