Arcadia Rural Fire Brigade

March has come and gone in a flash, and our brigade is getting busier and busier for 2018. We welcomed those storms that rumbled over Sydney, in which the rain relieved those drought like conditions and aided the many firefighters around the state. It was important that we continued to remind the community that it was still fire season and two permits were required for piles. Now that fire season is over for another year, residents are required to obtain their council permit and abide by those instructions.

Arcadia has been starting their Hazard Reduction preparations for those that are planned for the area. These HRs are large tasks to undertake and brigade members have been starting the process by talking to residents and obtaining consent from them. This first step is then followed with preparation of containment lines around the prescribed burn area. At this stage there are no dates available for these HRs, but once we acquire further information we will be informing the community.

The Hornsby/Ku-Ring-Gai district conducted their Crew Leader assessment in Fiddletown in March. It saw a number of candidates being put through their paces on varying scenarios, including grass and bush fires, property protection, coordinating trucks to attend other incidents, and leading multiple crews. One of our own Arcadians, Mike, represented the brigade well and passed his assessment. Congratulations Mike, your dedication was evident during that grueling assessment.

One of our other continuous training requirements Breathing Apparatus (BA), used in areas that the air is dangerous to breath without clean air, such as structure and car fires. These yearly exercises are designed to keep the crews qualifications up-to-date. Arcadia is a BA brigade, which means our Bravo truck carries breathing apparatus and oxygen cylinders on it.

Arcadia is proud to have an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone. In March we celebrated the achievements and skills of our fire fighter women. Our membership numbers have grown over the past year, as have the involvement of women in our community, which is exciting to see. The brigade is a professional community service and if you are interested in being involved to contact us via enquiries@arcadiarfs.org.au