Blackwood’s Community Emergency Response Team needs public help.
The team is made up of volunteers who provide emergency first-aid at car accidents, motor bike accidents in the bush, at homes, for the elderly in care, children at sports venues and anyone who needs urgent help in Moorabool and surrounding areas.
Response team president Leonie Brasier last week launched an online crowdfunding campaign on Go Fund Me, with the aim of raising $30,000 for a garage to store the team’s vehicle and equipment.
“We need to build a garage for the vehicle, storage and for training of our volunteers,” Ms Brasier said. “We need $30,000 by the end of April to do this before winter sets in.
“We’re all volunteers who have been trained by Ambulance Victoria to render emergency first aid in our area.
“We can often get there before the ambulance and can give immediate assistance, like dress a wound, administer pain relief, stabilise a patient or call for assistance,” she said.
“The service has been running for about 13 years, and we have a 4WD vehicle so we can get to medical emergencies quickly, but we have nowhere secure to keep it and the life-saving equipment inside.”
Ms Brasier said the only training facilities nearby were the Country Fire Authority headquarters at Blackwood, but this was already filled up.
“This is not just for the Ballan and Bacchus Marsh area, but for within the Moorabool Shire,” she said. “A garage will help our CERT volunteers to keep providing this service in all weathers and conditions.”
Details: www.gofundme.com/blackwoodcert
