![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Original-Austin-Fire-Tanker-300x256.jpg\")
Mac Barty joined the brigade in 1952 and took over as captain in 1956. His family has been involved for four generations and his grandson, Lachlan, is an active firefighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur family have been a part of this brigade for the full 100 years,\u201d he said. \u201cMy father was one of the founding members.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been part of our household with my brother, son and two grandsons and we\u2019ve seen the brigade progress from in my day – not the days of the hand beaters – but to the days of the knapsack to what you\u2019ve got today.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are currently four fourth-generation firefighters at the brigade, Second Lieutenant Jason Davis, Fourth Lieutenant Alex Lewis, and firefighters Brad Broad and Lachlan Barty.<\/p>\n
Another former member, Bill Byrne, joined the brigade nine years before Mr Barty, taking over the late Len Ellery, known as the brigade\u2019s greatest captain, who served for 17 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe died rather suddenly, and I was pitchforked into it,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want the job but, like Noel and Mac, we probably fell into it. Mac took over from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Ellery served as captain for 17 years, running every fire and commanding strike teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did virtually everything and no one else had to do much at all because you knew he would do the whole lot,\u201d Mr Barty said.<\/p>\n
Both Mr Barty and Mr Byrne agree that advancements in technology have been crucial to fighting fires, and will continue to be in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to rely on technology,\u201d Mr Byrne said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a group formed that are mostly scientists and technicians, who are working on a satellite that can spotlight heat through sensors, within minutes of a fire starting. That would be a wonderful thing for the country.\u201d<\/p>\n A sign of firefighting technology was on display last Saturday, with air support helping bring a fire under control in Sedgwick.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to rely on helicopters now, we\u2019re fortunate here because we have helicopters, airborne 20 miles away,\u201d Mr Byrne said.<\/p>\n \u201cInaccessible county like the mountains, where fires get going for days before they can get anyone in there, it\u2019s a marvellous advantage for those people. They can fly in with helicopters, waterbomb them and stop these huge fires starting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe advance in technology is wonderful, it\u2019s supposed to take over the lack of manpower, and I\u2019m sure it will.\u201d<\/p>\n The Sutton Grange and Myrtle Creek CFA is comprised of two stations in the respective towns.<\/p>\n The station in Sutton Grange has seen four different tankers, with a Macedon tanker currently in use. At Myrtle Creek, the tanker has been in use since 2003 and is expected to be upgraded next year.<\/p>\n There are currently 60 members of the brigade, with 26 active firefighters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ON 16 January 1922, thirty-two people joined together to form the first iteration of the Sutton Grange and Myrtle Creek CFA. They paid five shillings each, grabbed their wet bags, broken branches and what little other equipment they had at their disposal, and did their best to bring bush fires under control. Early technological advancements […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Sutton-Grange-and-Myrtle-creek-Tankers-1-300x200.jpg\")