New tanker for brigade after years of fundraising

AFTER more than eight years of community fundraising, the Gnarwarre CFA has officially welcomed a new medium sized firetruck tanker which will further assist their volunteers in protecting local residents from fire danger.

Rejoicing members of the Gnarwarre CFA team received the keys to their new tanker last weekend by Member for South Barwon Darren Cheeseman MP and CFA Acting Deputy Chief Officer Brendan Lawson.

The new 4WD crew cabin firetruck tanker will hold around 2,000 litres of water to fight larger fires and will have another 650 litres set aside for crew and vehicle protection sprays, as well as brackets to hold breathing apparatus and cylinders.

The tanker project received $50,000 of funding from the Gnarwarre CFA and was also the beneficiary of a Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP) grant and a $5,000 grant from the Community Bank Surf Coast.

The Community Bank Surf Coast also provided $7,000 worth of breathing apparatus equipment towards the project, allowing the brigade to enter dangerous enclosed places to fight fire or conduct rescue operations.

Gnarwarre CFA captain Anthony Young said the team were over the moon to have received such strong support from the Surf Coast community.

“It’s been a bit of a journey to get to this point, it’s taken a long time but we are absolutely stoked.

“We had to fundraise $50,000 ourselves and then called on our community to help us which is where the Community Bank Surf Coast came in.

“There community fundraising program is outstanding and without their support, we can’t do things like what we have with the tanker… we are very thankful.”

Community Bank Surf Coast member Rob Cameron said the bank were very pleased to help the Gnarwarre team with bringing the almost decade long project to life.

“The Community Bank Surf Coast and the Gnarwarre CFA have been working together for some time towards the funding of this new firetruck tanker and it’s fantastic to see it come to life.

“Personally, having worked on the project, it makes me very proud to finally see this come to fruition and for the Gnarwarre community to see how their support in banking with us has in turn helped them to secure funding for this project.”The Gnarwarre CFA team out the front of their new tanker.