Every year, thousands of volunteer firefighters give up their free time and risk their lives to help their fellow citizens. Australia’s leading specialist bushfire fighting pump company, Australian Pump Industries, decided to find out what makes a firefighting volunteer tick! The company launched a program to pull entries from volunteer brigades in Victoria with a view to letting them have their say about what makes
these folks put themselves in the line of fire!
According to the “State of the Climate 2018” report, there has been a long term increase in Australian fire conditions and the length of bushfire seasons. This has been a constant trend since the 1950s and there’s no denying the fact, even if the cause is open to question.
The concept of volunteer firefighting appears to be almost unique to Australia. The idea that citizens, most of who already have a full-time job, give up their leisure time with family and friends, to train and educate people and raise funds. Then in emergency situations, they don their gear and report for duty within a community that needs them most!
CFA Volunteers Respond
“We started with the CFA in Victoria because we know they have 50,000 volunteers and that is a mighty force” said Aussie Pumps’ Brad Farrugia. Aussie Pumps builds high-pressure fire fighting pumps used by farmers homeowners to protect their property. They’ve supplied hundreds of pumps to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Rural Fire Service in NSW.
The company believes if the volunteers are going to have to put themselves at risk they should have the best equipment, and get the credit they deserve!
“The more we get to understand the volunteers and the people who give up their free time, the more we realise what a huge debt we have. We appreciate the over-selfless men and women who protect the lives and properties of others” said Farrugia.
Here are some samples of the great responses the company received. This is from Craig Warren from Wallington Fire Station. He said a lot with his short sharp comment about volunteers giving up their time. Our question was what motivates a volunteer to join?”
“The only reward is feeling good about you by helping others”
Carol Brislane from Anakie Fire Brigade came up with a good short sharp point.
“I hope that I may inspire others to join”.
The company was flooded with entries but eventually Christmas Hills Fire Brigade won the prize of an Aussie Fire Red Brigade Fire Captain high pressure fire fighting pump based on this very lyrical entry from Liz Mildenhall.
“Motivated to learn about fire behaviour and suppression after the devastating Black Saturday bushfires, we women joined the Christmas Hills Brigade. Ten years later with more knowledge and skills under our belts we feel our efforts are valued, enjoy the teamwork and feel safer living in our beautiful bush.”
Aussie Pump distributors around the country are getting behind this “APPRECIATE THE FIRIE VOLUNTEERS” campaign and doing their bit to help out as well.
For more info on the Aussie Pumps’ product range, contact Australian Pump Industries, or dealers throughout Australia: www.aussiepumps.com.au
