FireWise in Cowes, Victoria | Publisher

FireWise

Locality: Cowes, Victoria

Phone: +61 402 051 412

Address: PO Box 496 3922 Cowes, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.fire-wise.com.au

Likes: 4232

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Publisher

25.01.2022 Congratulations to the new Officers team elected last night. Captain Craig Dennis 1st Lieutenant Adam O'Brien 2nd Lieutenant Sam Carlton 3rd Lieutenant Kirsten ...Stollery 4th Lieutenant Jon Hughes See more

25.01.2022 Glenn SHAW 6/1/1955 - 9/11/2020 It is with great sadness that the Red Cliffs Fire Brigade announce the passing of Life Member/Firefighter, Glenn Shaw on Monday... 9th of November 2020. Glenn joined the Red Cliffs Fire Brigade in 1972 and served 48 years as an operational firefighter, including time as Apparatus Officer, Lieutenant and 6 years as Captain. Glenn passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family. Our thoughts are with his wife Jenny, his 11 children; all of which are current or past members of the brigade and his extended family. ‘You can all have the rest of the day off with pay’

21.01.2022 An extensive program of mulching works has been completed along the Great Road Ocean Road and across the Otway Ranges. Check out this video showing how Forest Fire Management Victoria has been removing flammable vegetation in and around townships to reduce the bushfire risk.

21.01.2022 Well done to all CFA members who took part in last week's planned burn in Brennans Bushland Reserve in Upper Beaconsfield. An enthusiastic group who undertook important vegetation management work despite some challenging conditions on the day. Images: Upper Beaconsfield Fire Brigade

20.01.2022 The ignition of the cultural burn today at Mysia Old Boort Road is now well underway. Ignition is via the mosaic burning method, with crews walking through t...he burn area lighting fires in small patches to allow the flames to slowly take their natural paths. We partner with Traditional Owners so that fire can be used in a way that supports cultural and land management aspirations. Cultural burns are in addition to the planned burning conducted for fuel management by Forest Fire Management Victoria. We understand that smoke from planned burns may cause concern and encourage those who are sensitive to smoke to remain indoors and keep windows closed until the smoke passes. Under the current public health advice, our planned burning program can continue for now. If that advice changes, we will make any adjustments necessary in consultation with Victorian Department of Health & Human Services, Environment Protection Authority Victoria, CFA (Country Fire Authority) and Vic Emergency. Our crews are adhering to appropriate physical distancing and hygiene requirements to ensure we can safely continue operations across the state. Keep up to date with planned burns in your area by visiting www.vic.gov.au/plannedburns or call 1800 226 226. ABC Central Victoria Boort CFA Loddon Times

20.01.2022 The 2020 fire season was a tough one for Victoria and for the CFA, this has been compounded further by COVID-19. On a brighter note, the CFA was very fortunate... to receive many generous donations and fundraising activities which will support the organisation and the work of volunteer brigades now and into the future. Connewarre Fire Brigade is most appreciative of its allocation of Trust Funds which will be spent where they are needed to support firefighting activities and providing items of value which will support our volunteers. To this end, the Brigade will receive 3 small town branches for our tankers, a defibrillator for our Brigade owned tanker and broad brim hats to protect our volunteers from the sun. See more

17.01.2022 Nilma North Fire Brigade expresses its deepest sympathies to the Black Family at the passing of Vic Black. Vic was a former Captain of the Nilma North Fire Bri...gade (previously known as North Ryding Fire Brigade). His Captaincy went from 1959 to 1982. May Vic rest in peace. Thank you Vic on behalf of the Community and the Nilma North Fire Brigade

17.01.2022 With rain forecast towards the end of the week, it is a timely reminder for our farmers on the combustion cycle within hay bales and stacks. For more informatio...n go to https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/hay-and-fire-safety #Haystacksafety #balesforfeednotfire #Haybalecombustioncycle #Every1comeshome

17.01.2022 Today we attended a single vehicle roll over in Olinda. Crews worked to stabilise the vehicle which was 10m down an embankment on its side. After freeing the dr...iver we used our steep angle rope system to safely get him up to the road. Great combined effort, thanks to Wandin rope operators, Olinda CFA, Sassafras CFA, AV and VicPol for your support. See more

17.01.2022 While Stage 3 lockdown is still in place, the Chief Fire Officer has given an exemption for Brigades to undertake entrapment exercises as part of our mandatory ...pre-summer training. All operational firefighters must know what do in the event of a burnover, which is when a fire may overwhelm a firetruck and its crew. With strict procedures in place, 4 members of our Brigade underwent the entrapment exercise this evening, with our training officer attending as the instructor.

16.01.2022 It is with our Deepest Condolences, Wodonga Fire Brigade Life Member NEVILLE FRICHOT passed away on Saturday 14th November 2020. Neville Frichot has been a huge... part of many peoples lives, whether it was in the CFA or just normal life. Neville joined Wodonga Fire Brigade in November 1965. He was at the Wodonga Brigade until January 1970 where he went and joined Eaglehawk Fire Brigade.. In 1972 Neville returned and rejoined Wodonga where he continued to serve, up to his passing. Serving as Brigade member, Firefighter and FEM Team member of the Brigade. In 2019 Neville joined and remained a member of the District 24 Headquarters Brigade. Neville has been Presented with the following for his outstanding service to the CFA, Wodonga Fire Brigade and to the community. 2004 - WODONGA FIRE BRIGADE LIFE MEMBERSHIP 2015 - NATIONAL MEDAL 3RD CLASP 2016 - 50 YEAR CFA LIFE MEMBERSHIP Neville has held the following positions. 1965-2019 - OPERATIONAL FIREFIGHTER 2000-2002 - CASUAL INSTRUCTOR 2004-2006 - 2ND LIEUTENANT 2006-2008 - 4TH LIEUTENANT 2010-2020 - FEM OFFICER 2019-2020 - PRESENT BRIGADE MEMBER We extend our sincere condolences to his wife Lyn, Troy and Michelle and their families, Wodonga Fire Brigade, Fire Rescue Victoria Station76 and Nevilles friends in the Wodonga and wider communities. Neville you will be deeply missed. RIP.

15.01.2022 2021 VFBV Urban Senior Championships Dedication of the Leon Roy Williams AFSM OAM Marshall Track As part of this years Championships, the Mooroopna Fire Brigad...e has upgraded the Marshall Track and dedicated it to one of the Brigade's stalwarts; Leon Roy Williams AFSM OAM better known as Whisky. Whisky was born on 30 August 1939 and passing away on 10 April 2017. The following dedication was read as part of the ceremony: "Leon joined the Mooroopna Urban Fire Brigade on 01 July 1955, CFA No: 1188518, after spending many years as a child watching the Mooroopna Fire Brigade members train outside his house in McLennan Street Mooroopna. Leon was a member for 61 years, including Brigade Secretary for 42 years. Lon’s administrative capabilities, drive, and devotion to the Mooroopna Fire Brigade, and the greater Mooroopna community, saw improvements to facilities, units and amenities, his industrious work and high standard for quality, has made him the driving force behind the development of the brigade for over 60 years. He was the brigade's delegate on the Goulburn Valley Urban Fire Brigades Association for 50 Years, serving as it's Secretary on 13 separate occasions. He was VUFBA Region 22 delegate for 30 years, President for 15 years, a VFBV Delegate til 2016. In the 1970’s Leon’s dream, vison, foresight, and leadership skills along with many others - lead him to be the driving force behind the planning, coordinating and development of the Ex-Capt. Mal Reid competition track which fellow fire brigade members from Victoria (and the whole of Australia) regard as one of the best in the country. Leon using his influence, coincidently, as he was treasurer of the Mooroopna Recreation Reserve committee of Management, he convinced the Committee to set aside some land for a competition track, he also influenced the Rodney Shire council to provide kerb and channel and hot mix for the main track, he also convinced the Mooroopna Water Board to install pumps and cast-iron pipes for the plugs, he was on the Mooroopna Water Board’s board also at the time. Some 11 years after Leon’s dream was conceived, the Mooroopna Urban Fire Brigade hosted the 1984 State Junior Championships and has since hosted many local and state championships. He was a competitive runner for over 12 years, he held several records in the association and regional competitions. His development and knowledge of the competition was a valuable source and he continued his love of the competition, assisting with the maintenance of Mooroopna’s junior and senior side’s equipment and providing valued advice whenever required and maintained Mooroopna’s competition track to a high standard. Leon was Secretary of the Mooroopna - Shepparton Urban Fire Brigade State Championships on 6 occassions 1984 (juniors), 1988, 1992, 1998, 2005, 2012 and was involved in all facets of organizing these championships. It is now only fitting that today, along with Leon’s family, friends, and fellow firefighters, that we officially name this Competition track 'The Leon R Williams AFSM OAM - Competition Marshall Track'. I would like to call forward Leon’s wife Mary and Ex Captain Keith Barbour to unveil the plaque". Presented by Firefighter Leonard Balfour 27 March 2021

13.01.2022 Do you remember reading these? A total of 239 editions.

12.01.2022 Today we commenced our pre-summer preparedness training. What's this you ask? Well each year all of our members must undertake have a refresher on a number bush...fire/grassfire related skills to ensure we are fighting fit for the fire season. Today's drill, we carried out on station under stringent COVID-19 conditions where members participated in burn over/entrapment drills. We will spend the next 4-6 weeks undertaking further refresher training as we prepare for the up coming fire season. See more

11.01.2022 Vale Spencer Ross Morrison 7/11/55 - 11/11/2020 It is with great sadness that the Melton Fire Brigade announce the passing of Life Member Spencer Ross Morrison ...on the 11th November 2020. Ross joined the brigade in 1983. He was a member of the marching team for many years. Ross passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rosalind, Kelvin, Michael, Carly and Peter and his extend family and friends. See more

10.01.2022 Sadly, so soon after losing our beloved Simon Arnold, our brigade is again mourning the loss of another family member. David Davidson Little was universally kno...wn simply as 'Doc' and passed away today, peacefully in his sleep after a battle with cancer. Doc served in the Emerald brigade from 1995 - 2017 and was a very active and passionate member. Doc was a special man with a huge heart and always had time for everybody, he was always up for a chat and was genuinely interested in what you had to say. It is often said, but Doc really was one of those people who would give you the shirt of his back if you needed a hand. Doc held the brigade rank of Lieutenant for several years as well as being our brigade delegate to the Dandenong Ranges Fire Brigades Group and VFBV Dist 13 Council. Doc had a lot of experience around trucks and machinery and one of his legacies will be the huge amount of time he contributed to driver training in the CFA. He mentored many of our brigade drivers in obtaining their truck licence but on a broader scale he further volunteered as CFA District 13 driver training instructor. He loved spending his time passing on his significant experience and was especially fond of the off road training courses. Doc was a stickler for the rules and processes and there would be many a District 13 driver who received a slap on the left wrist if you dared keep your hand on the gear stick between changes or weren't driving to the Hendon system! Doc was also handy on the tools and had several idea's to improve the features on our trucks, some of these idea's finding there way on to future production runs on new tankers. Our local residents will remember Doc as the original proprietor of the Swish Swash laundromat in the main St. From here Doc was widely known in the community. I would hate to think of Docs weekly coffee bill at the shop, his kettle was rarely cold between everyone dropping in for a chat and a cuppa - he truly loved it. Doc was a big man with a big presence, he was a storyteller had integrity, respect and an old school sense of right and wrong and was a friend to many. He will be sadly missed. Farewell Doc, thanks for your service and your friendship, rest easy now mate. Paul Yandle - Captain

09.01.2022 Yesterday’s shop/house fire at Beeac.

09.01.2022 Last night at around 7.30 Malmsbury Brigade was paged to assist Kyneton at a large shed fire. Tanker 1 and Big Fill supplied water whilst two Malmsbury members ...wearing breathing apparatus formed part of the extinguishment crew. Very weary crews returned just after midnight and were back on scene at 8.30 this morning putting out hotspots. Well done to all who responded See more

09.01.2022 Michael Lazarus, Life Member of the Warburton Fire Brigade and our dear friend sadly passed yesterday. Michael joined the CFA in 1983 and served in Yarra Junct...ion and Rheola brigades before joining Warburton in 1992. We remember him fondly for his great chats and chuckling laughter as well as outstanding service to the brigade and the community. Vale Mike, you will be missed.

08.01.2022 Horses and Fire: preparing for the coming fire season Webinar CFA invites you to participate in a Horses and Fire Webinar. This is targeted to horse owners... in bushfire / grassfire risk areas (that’s pretty much all), the webinar with be hosted by Abbey's Run Equestrian and co-hosted by Lee Manning AgVic, April Padbury CFA and guest speaker Moyna Smeaton. Interested; you can find out more information and register through Eventbrite at the following. [http://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../horses-and-fire](http://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../horses-and-fire)... Date and Time Thu, 8 October 2020 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

08.01.2022 Today is Police Remembrance Day, a chance to honour and pay our respects to members of our police force. Today, and every day, we say thank you to our colleagues at Victoria Police, and recognise the important work they do. to protect our society.

07.01.2022 CFA issues haystack warning to Victorians! As regional Victoria begins to experience spring growth of pastures and crops, CFA has issued a warning to farmers to... exercise caution with the cutting, baling and storage of hay. CFA Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook said CFA crews responded to 86 haystack fires across the state last year. Rainfall deficiencies are starting to emerge across parts of the Mallee, Wimmera and Far South West, which is a concern for CFA, A/CO Cook said. However, above average spring rainfall has been predicted for many regions across the state, which should result in greater yield and hopefully a successful hay season for many. We are urging all Victorians farmers to take care of their hay and crops this bushfire season. Fodder conservation and storage is a vital and valuable component of the year-round farming operations. It is important for farmers to ensure haystacks are prepared well and bales are able to be stored safely. He emphasised that haystacks pose a fire danger which could occupy crucial firefighting resources during Victoria’s bushfire season. When a haystack ignites, depending on the size of the stack, it can remain burning and smoulder over a long period and CFA crews are often required to monitor it for several days to make sure it doesn’t spread, A/CO Cook said. Haystack fires can start quite easily from lightning strikes, sparks from equipment and machinery, but a major source of ignition is spontaneous combustion of the haybales themselves. Spontaneous combustion can occur when hay has either not properly dried before baling, or has been exposed to rain or damp conditions, meaning moisture content in the bales is higher than the recommended levels. This can happen to any hay bales, regardless of size. After baling, check the heat and smell of the bales before stacking them into haysheds or large external stacks, and leave any suspect bales separate from the rest. Hot bales will often omit an odour like burning tobacco, and heat inside bales can be detected by inserting a steel rod or crowbar into the centre of a bale or stack of hay. Since 2008, CFA has responded to around 1600 haystack fires. By producing hay in the right conditions and checking bales for heat before stacking haystacks, you can limit the chances of adding this seasons hay to those statistics and save yourself from loss of valuable fodder and other costly impacts of a fire. Important Tips It is important to ensure hay is well cured before bailing. Know the history of the hay you purchase. Keep haystacks to a limited size. Monitor moisture and temperature of your hay regularly. Watch for unusual odours such as pipe tobacco, caramel, burning or musty smells. Store hay in separate stacks or sheds away from farm equipment and other buildings. Keep your hay dry. Protect it from rain, leaking rooves or spouts, and runoff. Cover stacks with tarps or hay caps. Don't stack hay right to the top of a hay shed. Allow some air to circulate at the top - this helps to carry away moisture. Temperature Guide what to do when your hay is overheating Use a thermometer in a probe or insert a crowbar into the middle of the stack for 2 hours Less than 50C (can handle bar without discomfort): Check temperature daily. 50C - 60C (can only handle crowbar for short time): Check temperature twice daily. Remove machinery from shed. 60C - 70C (can touch bar only briefly): Check temperature every 2-4 hours. Move hay to improve air flow. Over 70 C (bar is too hot to hold): Potential for fire. Call 000 immediately. Avoid walking on top of haystack. For more information please visit: https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/hay-and-fire-safety

07.01.2022 Vale John French The brigade mourns the loss of Ex- Brigade Captain John French, member of the brigade from the mid 1970’s to Mid 1980’s. John served as 3rd l...ieutenant at the brigade in 1976/77, 2nd Lieutenant 1978/81 before becoming captain of the brigade in 1982, serving in that roll until 1985. Although John & the family moved out the area in the late 80’s he continued as a firefighter joining the Warrenbayne Brigade when they moved to Benalla and since 1989 served 30 years in the NSW Rural fire service - Southern Border Team based in Albury NSW, as secretary of the Paragon Fire Brigade and also as a Deputy Group Officer. He also served a stint as acting Fire Control Officer in the early 90’s. John has left a legacy of service to his local communities and his son Chris said that his dad always remembered fondly of his time at Hoddles Creek Fire Brigade and the community it protected. John passed away on the 24th of August, 2020. . The brigade extends our deepest & heartfelt sympathy to Sue, Chris & family. Rest in Peace Thankyou to Chris French & Phil Coulson for the photos & contributions to this dedication.

06.01.2022 September edition of Fire Wise is available online now at www.fire-wise.com.au

05.01.2022 Recent rain has boosted fuel loads and increased the risk of bushfires, particularly from fast moving grass & crop fires. Aussie Pumps has ramped up production of our popular Fire Chief and Brad Farrugia explains what makes this portable fire pump special.

02.01.2022 The Brigade would like to announce the results of our recent elections. There is a great mixture of experienced and newer members on the Brigade Management Team... - Captain - Hans DeKraker 21 years with the CFA. 1st Lieutenant - Mark Konieczny 7 years with the CFA 2nd Lieutenant - Jasmine Mace 11 years with the CFA 3rd Lieutenant - Andrew Jopp 3 years with the CFA Secretary - Mellanie Harris 1 year with the CFA Community Engagement Officer - Sandra Ramsay 3 years with the CFA