THE long hot summer is gone, but the work continues for our volunteer firefighters from the Pindimar/Tea Gardens Rural Fire Service.

With winter almost upon us, hazard reduction plans are being put together for areas around Hawks Nest, Tea Gardens, Pindimar and Bundabah.

Last weekend, it was also time for some housekeeping at the Brigade’s Annual General Meeting at their Tea Gardens Headquarters.

“The Brigade had 51 call-outs since this time last year, the Lone Pine Fire being the standout on the weekend of 4 November, 2016,” Captain Helmut Panhuber said.

More recently a crew was also involved in the flood clean up at Lismore.

It was an opportunity as well, to say thank you to the Brigade’s sponsors, especially the Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Motor Club and the Motorfest weekend, the Anglican Parish, Burton Toyota, Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Progress Association and CTC.

Community Liaison Officer, Noel Quince, is looking to increase public awareness.

“We’d like to have street meetings, explain to people what the actual fire danger rating is, have they got a fire plan worked out and explain the new maps we now have, which show that their house could actually be in danger.”

‘’People tend to become complacent, we don’t want to scare them but inform them,” Noel told News Of The Area.

“A lot of places, there’s just one way in and one way out, they need to know where they have to go in case of an emergency.”

“To be informed is to be pre-warned,” he added.

“You get a lot of locals who come here from the city to retire and have no idea what it’s like to live in the bush.”

Last word of the AGM went to Captain Helmut Panhuber, “On a personal note, I’d just like to thank all the members for their enthusiastic help throughout this past 12 months.’’

“It’s also great that we have had some younger people join the Brigade; Dad’s Army no more!”

 

By Margie TIERNEY