NAPOLEONS-Enfield Fire Brigade has a bright future ahead, with many enthusiastic and talented young people involved in their junior program.<\/p>\n
Sixteen of them competed within four teams at the Country Fire Authority\/Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria State Championships over the weekend in Mooroopna, and the brigade took home both the 11 to 13, and 11 to 15 state age aggregates.<\/p>\n
Brigade Captain Paul Hazlett said they fielded the most teams they\u2019ve ever had and saw success in some divisions they haven\u2019t won in decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 11 to 15s won five events outright, and broke two state records which had been standing for 12 or 14 years, which was a big effort,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 11 to 13 year olds winning the state aggregate was huge because we haven\u2019t won that for more than 30 years, and they also won three events themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of our first-year teams won an event and they\u2019d never been to the states before, so it was a great effort all round.\u201d<\/p>\n
All five competition categories at the CFA\/VFBV Victoria State Championships are based around firefighting or handling of CFA equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about your run down. There\u2019s a replica of the back of a truck, there are hoses, you have to pull off the reels, there\u2019s hydrants to hook up, targets to hit in sequence, and there\u2019s ladders involved,\u201d Captain Hazlett said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s also a sprint, which is a bit of a novelty and a separate category, to see which kids are the quickest at the end of the day in their age groups.\u201d<\/p>\n
Captain Hazlett said their aim with the junior program is not just to create a pathway for young people to become adult volunteers, but to establish a fun space where they can thrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe start training in the first week in February, and we train two nights a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a perfect way to engage kids with CFA because they can’t do much on the fire ground until they’re 16.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis brings them into the CFA family, introduces them to the shed, other members, and to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAPOLEONS-Enfield Fire Brigade has a bright future ahead, with many enthusiastic and talented young people involved in their junior program. Sixteen of them competed within four teams at the Country Fire Authority\/Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria State Championships over the weekend in Mooroopna, and the brigade took home both the 11 to 13, and 11 to […]<\/p>\n