Testing skills

By Jessica Howard 

Two Moorabool juniors will put their skills to the test at the 2017 biennial Australian Fire Cadet Championships.

Greendale Fire Brigade’s Peyton Dodds and Teneal Revell from Coimadai are among 12 CFA firey’s from across Victoria to have been selected in one of two teams that will travel to the New South Wales Central Coast in October.

The Australian Fire Cadet Championships is a four-day event that includes a combination of training, competition, formal functions, social activities and networking.

15-year-old Peyton said she was looking forward to making new friends and learning new skills.

“I recently met everyone from my team and we all got along really well, so I’m feeling excited and confident,” she said.

“Not only will I become friends with people from Victoria, but also people from all over Australia. I’m hoping this experience gives me more social and leadership skills, which I can take back to my own Brigade”.

Peyton, the youngest of seven children, joined the Greendale Fire Brigade four years ago after following in the footsteps of her older siblings.

Her older brother Carson attended the Australian Fire Cadet Championships in 2013.

“Being a part of [Greendale Fire Brigade] is like having a second family,” Peyton said.

“The number of juniors isn’t as high as it used to be, so I’m hoping by going to the championships I can help increase the number of juniors here as it’s a really good brigade to be a part of”.

The Championships will see competitors take part in eight competition events including portable pump relay, hose and hydrant drill, station response and knapsack drill.

The event will be hosted by the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW Rural Fire Services Association.

14-year-old Teneal will attend the event less than 12-months after joining the Coimadai Fire Brigade.

She became a firey through the help of her best friend.

“I feel nervous [for the championships], but mostly excited,” she said.

“It will be good to make new friends and learn new things”.

Junior firefighters were joined by four CFA leaders and flew up to Sydney on Monday October 2 to prepare for the event.

Successful team members were drawn from a diverse range of areas including Hamilton, Hastings, Swan Hill, Kiewa, Seymour, Warrnambool, Coimadai, Bayswater, Wodonga, Narre Warren, Taradale, Greendale and Sedgwick.