Black Saturday Review - final session

There is a final Black Saturday review sessions with Jamie Mackenzie and his team on Thursday 26 July 19:00 Arthurs Creek station.

All are welcome, particularly those that have missed out on the other sessions.

2012 Black Saturday Commemoration photos

7 Feb Ceremonies - 3rd Anniversary

The brigade will be holding a flag-lowering ceremony on Tuesday 7 Feb 18:00 at Arthurs Creek station to commemorate Black Saturday.  Blues to be worn.

We are holding it early to allow anyone who wishes to attend the Strathewen ceremony to get there in time.  All brigade members are invited.  Refer to the following for details of the Strathewen event:

• Invitation
• Program

Geoff

Skycrane pilot presentation

Barrie Tully has organised for Skycrane pilot Luca Marziale, who flew the first 'Elvis' into Australia, to visit us for a talk. Should be a very interesting evening!

He will be visiting Monday 19 December 19:30.

Geoff

The Chief Officer said some very nice things about our garden opening in his latest blog:

Joe’s Garden – Arthur’s Creek Fire Station

Recently I attended the opening of a beautiful and serene outdoor garden and rock arrangement alongside the Arthur's Creek Fire Station. Joe Shepherd was a valued CFA member who died on Black Saturday defending his family and his community. The garden is a wonderful tribute to Joe. It is the inspiration and product of many hours of labour by Arthur’s Creek volunteers. I found an uplifting and spiritual connection in the garden. It is a wonderful tribute to one of our own who lost his life in the February 2009 fires. I commend the Brigade, and recommend a visit to you all.

Link to post: ttp://www.cfaconnect.net.au/blog-mainmenu-8/CFA-Strategy-Creating-Our-Future-Together-.html

Joe's Garden opening on CFA Connect

An article with some photos (thanks, Adrian and Anita!) about the garden opening has been posted on CFA Connect.

Geoff

Joe's Garden Opening

All members of the Arthurs Creek & Strathewen Rural Fire Brigade, the Auxiliary, the Juniors and their families, are invited to the official opening of Joe’s Garden. The garden has been built by members of the brigade in memory of firefighter Joe Shepherd and all other Strathewen residents who died in the Black Saturday bushfires.

• Date: Sunday 5 June, 2011
• Time: 2:30pm
• Location: Arthurs Creek Fire Station, 834 Arthurs Creek Rd, Arthurs Creek

You are invited to stay for a light afternoon tea after the ceremony.

• RSVP: Geoff Schmidt on 0407 363 946 or geoffsch@tpg.com.au by Sunday 29 May, 2011.

Names on structure bags

For those with the red structure PPC bags, Peter Murphy has kindly offered to sew names onto the bag for you. This will be happening on Sunday 27 February. The brigade has agreed to fund this. Bring your bags to Arthurs Creek station at 09:00 and Peter will return them to you later that morning. We will organise another time for this later in the year for those that are still to receive their bags.

Extra-ordinary meeting

We are holding an extra-ordinary meeting on Monday 21 February 19:30 Arthurs Creek station, prior to skills maintenance. This is to discuss and pass a funding proposal for the memorial garden. It requires brigade approval before proceeding further.

Pre-season BBQ and awards presentation

Some photos by Michael from the pre-season BBQ & life membership awards presentation - 5 December 2010.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthurscreekrfb/sets/72157625650127530/detail/

District Exercise Photos

District 14 Exercise - 5 December 2010

National Park Visit 21st November

Ian Maher from Kinglake will guide us around.

We will meet at the Fire station at 09.00hrs, and meet Ian Maher 09.30hrs Marshall Road & Buttermans Track entrance.  From there through the park to Wallaby Creek.

We have to limit our vehicles so only take 4WDs and fill them.

We will take all the portable radios plus the listening sets so each car has at least a listening set.

We can go to the Flowerdale Pub for lunch afterwards.  Contact Michael so he can book a table.
 
Michael

Training Visit to VicFire & FIRS

Hi all

We are arranging a visit to VICFIRE & FIRS located at CFA Head Quarters Tally Ho on Monday 8th November 2010.  This is to familiarise ourselves with how VICFIRE take 000 calls and turn us out. 

Also we will visit the FIRS Reporting section.  All fires have to be reported on by contacting FIRS so you can see how and why we do this!!! If you want to find out more about FIRS go to CFA Connect as there was an article about them a few weeks ago.

The plan is to take 20 people per visit.  When we get to CFA Head Quarters 10 will go to VICFIRE & 10 will go to FIRS then we will swap around.

If we get more that 20 people wanting to attend we can can arrange another visit for the remaining members on the Monday 16th November.

So please email or call Geoff or myself to put your name down. For new members this is must, you will be able to put a face to a voice that you hear over the radio and get a proper understanding on how the despatching system works...

Kind Regards

Michael Chapman

20 Sep Skills Maintenance

Apologies - we will not be doing Class A Foam training on 20 Sep.  There is something even more exciting planned!

Geoff

Upcoming events

Please note the range of upcoming events over the next few months:

• Mon 20 Sep - commencing Class A Foam training.  All required to attend to either gain you original certification, or for those already trained, to be familiar with the new foam being used by the CFA.
• Sun 3 Oct - Hurstbridge Farmer's Market.  Help required to man the gate - please contact Ros if you are available.
• Mon 18 Oct - Fire Investigation Information session.  Geoff Ranzenhofer from Greenvale CFA will be presenting.
• Sun 21 Nov - the tour of the National Park has moved to this new date due to the clash with the Melbourn Cup weekend.
• Sun 5 Dec - pre-season BBQ.

Geoff

Wattle Festival Roster

The following is the roster (so far) for the Wattle Festival  on Sunday 29 August

More people still required.  Please contact Peter Reader if you are available.

Wattle Festival

We are selling tickets again for the Wattle Festival steam train on Sunday 29 August.  Please contact Peter Reader petrepeat@optusnet.com.au to volunteer your services for a shift.

Geoff

Christmas in July

The Brigade is inviting (and paying for) Jim Usher, Mac Gudgeon and some Bendigo Bank people to come along to the Hall's "Christmas in July" to thank them for their contribution to the Brigade through "Footsteps in the Ash".

It would be really good if others connected with the Brigade could be there as well. "Christmas in July" is on Saturday 17 July at 7.00 p.m. Tickets are
$35 each and can be purchased from Lois 9714 8447.

Regards

Gayle

Next Saturday 8 May

Some Arthurs Creek District Landcare members are going up to Deb and Peter Jenkinson's property,155 O'Deas Road, next Saturday morning to put in some trees and shrubs and pull some weeds.

If any Brigade members would like to join us they would be most welcome. We will start at about 9 a.m. and finish with a BBQ lunch. Could those coming please let Pat or Gayle (9714 8270 or email patcorr@alphalink.com.au) know so we can have sufficient sausages and vegie burgers on hand.

Regards

Gayle

Anzac Day March 2010

The papparazzi were in Whittlesea for the Anzac Day March:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthurscreekrfb/sets/72157623817753709/