AU – RRT Assist CFA with Community Awareness Event – Stepback
As part of the CFA’s Stepback Community Fire Awareness program the CFA Community Safety team ran a series of important and successful community awareness events for community members with homes in and around grass and bushland environments.
The Rapid Relief Teams of Hamilton and Warrnambool assisted in events at a PBCC hall in Hamilton on Saturday the 14th of February and at a local school and child care centre in Warrnambool on Friday the 20th and 27th February 2015.
To assist in attracting the crowds to these events, the Rapid Relief Teams volunteered to provide lunch.
Meanwhile the CFA got busy with the setting up their equipment which between the events included the $1 million plus, state-of-art Mobile Education Unit (MEU), their bushfire awareness Property Advice Trailer, marquees etc. The local brigades arrived in 4×4 tanker trucks, full of water. They quickly rolled out their hoses and prepared for a few hours of action packed, hose squirting fun with the kids.
People from the neighboring communities started flocking in, making a bee-line for the free BBQ provided by the RRT and then moving onto explore the various educational displays in the MEU and Trailer, and to discuss bushfire survival strategies with the experienced CFA safety officers and check out the fantastic CFA assets that were on display.
It was fantastic to see so many families making the effort to attend these important events and no one went away disappointed, especially not the kids! The kids had a very enjoyable time with fire hose squirting competitions, photo-shoots with the CFA mascot Captain Koala, exploring the tankers and watching the educational videos on the big screens in the CFA MEU.
As the events progressed, the RRT members were kept busy handing out meals, waters, fruit juices and coffees to appreciative locals and CFA members alike.
The events were thoroughly enjoyed by all and the RRT certainly look forward to being of further service to the CFA in times of need.
