Exceptional expo a hit

By Lachlan Ellis

An expo held by local emergency services personnel has gone off without a hitch, despite some rather dreary weather the day before.

Deputy Group Officer of the Pentland Group of Brigades, Dale Salathiel, said the Emergency Services Expo at St Anne’s Winery, Myrniong on Sunday 10 December was a “roaring success with a big turnout from across the community”.

“We were worried the event wasn’t going to go ahead due to the amount of rainfall the venue received the day before. We adapted and overcome, and it was a successful day. The aim of this important event was to give Moorabool residents information and resources to assist them with preparing for emergencies, response, and recovery,” Mr Salathiel told the Moorabool News.

“Ten Emergency Services groups and support groups attended: Country Fire Authority (CFA), Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), Victoria Police, Crime Stoppers, Ambulance Victoria, State Emergency Service (SES), Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry (VCCEM), Moorabool Shire Council, St John’s Ambulance, and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic).”

Ballan CFA provided a demonstration with their rescue appliance on a Motor Vehicle Rescue with dummies trapped inside, cutting the vehicle up and rescuing them.

Another display was a CFA utilised virtual reality FLAIM trainer, where members of the community utilised a fire extinguisher in and extinguished fires that may be present in the home.

St John’s Ambulance provided Basic First Aid information and allowed the community to practice CPR on their mannequins.

There were free giveaways including showbags that contained important information on what you can and can’t do during the Fire Danger Period, information about pets and horses during fires and emergencies and some family information on home fire safety plans, and more.

For more information on what to do during the Fire Danger Period, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au.