Drouin CFA train with new equipment
Drouin CFA volunteers are training with a new piece of the latest high tech firefighting gear.
Brigade captain John Atkins said the arrival of the new gas detector added to the volunteers’ capabilities in a variety of emergency situations.
“The detector can pick up a range of different gasses that are flammable, explosive or poisonous,” Mr Atkins said. “Outdoors it can detect gasses that are invisible and have no strong smell, so we can determine the safe distance from a gas leak. In other situations, it can help us determine whether we are dealing with a potential explosion or just a bad smell.”
“And when volunteer firefighters are wearing breathing apparatus, such as during a search for people who may be trapped in a smoke logged building, it can provide a warning of any additional hazards to the crew and the occupants,” added Mr Atkins.
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria district nine president Brian Brewer said the district’s CFA volunteers were always training.
“CFA volunteers train to professional standards,” said Mr Brewer. “Even what we call minimum skills - the basic level required to be a member of a tanker crew - is a nationally recognised qualification in firefighting.”
He said CFA volunteer firefighters train for technical qualifications in many different emergency skills such as structural firefighting, road accident rescue, dealing with hazardous materials (Hazmat) and use of breathing apparatus.
“And many volunteers qualify and work in specialist roles such as fire investigator, crew leader or incident controller,” said Mr Brewer. “Some of the highest qualified and most experienced firefighters in the state are CFA volunteers.”
Drouin CFA already has five volunteers qualified to use the new gas detector, with more members now undergoing the specialised training.
“The gas detector has been bought with locally raised funds, and the brigade would like to thank every member of the local community who has responded to our fundraising efforts,” said Mr Atkins. “If you have made a donation, bought a raffle ticket or responded to the much nicer smell of a CFA sausage sizzle, you have helped to equip Drouin CFA’s volunteer firefighters with another potentially lifesaving piece of high tech equipment that will add to our ability to protect the community.”