IN 1991, Mark Cartledge decided it was his time to give back to the community.<\/p>\n
Joining the Ballarat Fire Brigade, he\u2019s offered his assistance to people in need as a Country Fire Authority volunteer.<\/p>\n
For over 31 years, Captain Cartledge has fought fires, held the positions of 1st and 3rd Lieutenant, has been a Specialist Response Team leader, and is the brigade\u2019s captain.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stay so I can continue to jump in and help members of the community when it\u2019s the worst day of their life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy the management role, with just-over 70 members. It\u2019s great to watch the younger members develop their skills, and grow, sometimes taking a career path in fire or police services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe social aspect of the brigade makes it really enjoyable as well. I\u2019ve made a lot of good friends over the years, not just within our close, friendly brigade but from other brigades and emergency services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Captain Cartledge is an advocate for awareness of road trauma and was awarded a CFA Chief Officers Letter of Commendation for responding to a serious vehicle collision involving CFA firefighters.<\/p>\n
But throughout his time as captain, he said acknowledging historic incidents of abuse at the brigade has been the biggest thing to manage.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was important to work with survivors, to listen to them… keep them engaged, and give them a place of reflection where they can come and tie their ribbons and sit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn’t want to hide and pretend it never happened,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For all this and more, Captain Cartledge is receiving an Australian Fire Service Medal this Australia Day.<\/p>\n
Barkly Street\u2019s iconic Ballarat Fire Brigade, established in 1856, remains a \u201cvery busy\u201d station he\u2019s proud to lead, responding to up to 500 calls annually.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe site is a bit of a hidden gem with the history it holds and the stories it can tell,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people aren\u2019t aware of that, but part of our role is to get that history out there, and that\u2019s why we open for Heritage Weekend and open days, to share our history, and fire safety information.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IN 1991, Mark Cartledge decided it was his time to give back to the community. Joining the Ballarat Fire Brigade, he\u2019s offered his assistance to people in need as a Country Fire Authority volunteer. For over 31 years, Captain Cartledge has fought fires, held the positions of 1st and 3rd Lieutenant, has been a Specialist […]<\/p>\n