Climb for a cause

By Lachlan Ellis

Climbing 28 flights of stairs sounds like a fair effort, let alone in several kilos of firefighting gear – but that’s just what a group of local firefighters will do in September for some fantastic causes.

Eleven members of the Bacchus Marsh Fire Brigade have signed up to be a part of the Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb, donning 25 kilos of turnout gear and breathing apparatus to raise funds to fight against cancer, depression, and suicide.

The team will join firefighters from across the state to climb the stairs at Crown Metropol, with both a competitive and non-competitive version of the Climb to be held on Saturday 2 September.

Community Safety Manager Chris Small is one of those eleven, and said the Brigade was proud to support such worthy causes through the Stair Climb.

“Universally, these are great causes to get behind. Mental health is something that’s quite close to us as individuals and the Brigade itself, and certainly CFA as well with our wellbeing programs and so forth. Being first responders, we can arrive at events that are quite confronting,” Mr Small told the Moorabool News.

“We’re really wanting to make as much of a contribution to the fundraising total as we can. Every dollar counts.”

This will be the fourth time Bacchus Marsh firefighters have taken part in the Stair Climb, previously taking part in 2019, 2020, and a virtual version of the event in 2021.

At the time of writing, the Bacchus Marsh Fire Brigade has raised a total of $3,770, with Brigades across the state hoping to raise a combined total of $700,000.

Mr Small said the 1000+ Steps in Darley had been instrumental in their training for the event, “starting with our civvy clothes and slowly adding firefighting equipment as we go to build ourselves up to it”.

To donate and help increase their tally, visit www.firefighterclimb.org.au/station/cfa/bacchus-marsh.

Kellie Kendrick and Warren Maynard from the Coimadai Fire Brigade will also be taking part – you can view their fundraising page at www.firefighterclimb.org.au/station/cfa/coimadai.