Liam McNally
CFA is asking regional Victorians to ‘Give Us a Hand’ as part of a recruitment campaign to encourage people to join the service across the state.
Acting chief officer Garry Cook said while there are more than 52,000 volunteers and over 1200 brigades in Victoria, regional communities are still in need of more volunteers.
“We are calling on anyone interested in taking on a new challenge, learning new skills, meeting new people or giving back to their community,” Mr Cook said.
“Whether you want to take on a dynamic role and respond to incidents as a CFA firefighter or jump on board in a support position within the brigade, there’s a place for you.”
Greendale-Dales Creek captain Brandon Lebehen said he joined the CFA as a junior at 12 years old.
“It’s been really good, I enjoy it, it’s not just going to fires but it’s a good opportunity to socialise as well,” he said.
Captain Lebehen said he has been on about 300 callouts in his career, including defending a town hall which had people bunkering inside it during the 2019-20 Gippsland bushfires.
“I’ve been through everything from housefires to car accident fatalities to bushfires and everything in between…There’s some jobs you definitely don’t want to go to but we do it, and I enjoy helping people and giving back,” he said.
“The CFA revolves around volunteers, the community relies on us, if we don’t do it, who else will?
“I’ve been there for 18 years, I still love it, if you’re thinking about doing it, do it.”
People interested in volunteering should get in touch through their local brigade or the CFA website.
Details: Details: bit.ly/41A4gZR
