BONVILLE Rural Fire Brigade is inviting local residents and property owners to visit the fire station on Saturday 21 May between 9am and 12 noon.

“Maybe after voting at the Bonville Hall nearby,” invited Narelle Swanson, Community Liaison Officer, Bonville Rural Fire Brigade.

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The open day will be an opportunity to find out how the brigade operates and to inspect the fire tankers and resources the brigade now has.

“There will be children’s activity sheets and special handouts and the big red fire trucks to look at.”

Information sheets detailing such as how to safely conduct a pile burn will be available.

“These handouts, created by the Rural Fire Service are excellent up-to-date material on a variety of topics on how to prepare for a fire emergency.”

The Open Day is in the spirit of getting to know your local Brigade, “and how together we can respond to emergencies”.

Residents can help volunteers when responding to an emergency by making their property numbers clearly visible.

Fire tankers are much bigger than cars.

“Keeping overhanging vegetation cut back at gateways and driveways is important for the big fire tankers to access a property.”

Many Brigade call outs are for emergencies within a property like shed fires, vehicle and electrical fires.

Preparation for the fire season has been hampered by the heavy rains.

“Only when the rain stops and things dry out will any burning be possible.”

Narelle urges new residents in particular to come and have a chat about what to do to keep both their neighbours and the Brigade happy.

“Residents need to play their part in keeping Bonville safe.

“They’ll learn who must be contacted if they want to burn the piles of garden refuse that have been accumulating during the wet.”

Brigade members are all local volunteers on call 24 hours for all kinds of emergencies, not just bushfires.

They can be called to assist in floods, traffic accidents, fires in buildings and machinery.

Now is not the season for bushfires – that will come later in the year – but now is the time to prepare.

“To consider what long term projects might make a property safer, like water sources and access, come and talk to us about it on Saturday morning,” said Narelle.

By Andrea FERRARI