New lead for brigade group

ONE of the top roles within the Ballan Group of Fire Brigades is set to change hands.

After serving in the role for 10 years, group officer Shane Cramer will pass the baton to first deputy officer Paul Dehnert on Monday.

“It’s an enormous amount of relief. I’m all meeting’d out,” Mr Cramer said.

“It’s a good position to be in and the group’s in reasonably good shape. It’s Paul’s responsibility now to take the group where it wants to go and where he wants to take it

“It’s good to hand it onto someone you’ve got faith in.”

Having been with the group for close to 20 years, Mr Cramer is looking forward to just being a firefighter with Greendale Fire Brigade, where he’s also stepping down from his role as treasurer.

“I’ve been involved in brigade and group management nonstop for the better part of 40 years,” he said.

“I’m just looking forward to not having anywhere near as many meetings to go to.”

Fighting fires for most of his life, Mr Cramer got involved with brigade work through his father, who he’d follow on checks from age 10 before officially joining at 17 years old.

While brigades physically handle fire, brigade groups oversee the coordination of their respective branches while also focusing on planning for events and advocating for the district’s firefighting needs.

The Ballan Group of Fire Brigades oversees Ballan, Blackwood, Gordon, Greendale, Millbrook, Morrisons, Mount Edgerton, Mount Wallace, and Wallace.

Mr Dehnert has been a with the deputy group office since 1996 after joining the Ballan Fire Brigade in 1979.

He said he’s felt supported by the group’s brigades in taking on the role of group officer.

“I suppose I’ll put my own imprint on the job but there’s not a whole heap that has to change,” he said.

“We have nine brigades in the group and I was encouraged by a majority of them to put my hand up.

“It’s been a progression over the years. I started off as a DGO but I’ve been heavily involved in the training area of the district for a long time.

“For the last 10 years I’ve been involved in the health and safety committee which is a real passion of mine.

“The whole CFA is about assisting the community. We meet people when they’re having probably one of the worst days of their lives and we assist them and hope we don’t see them again in that context.”