Rochester Fire Brigade members recently marked 150 years of service to the community. As part of celebrations a torchlight procession was held. Photos: Supplied.
Photo by
Contributed
Rochester Fire Brigade members marked a sesquicentennial of service recently with a torchlight procession, community barbecue and fireworks.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
When the brigade was formed 150 years ago, there were no water points within the town, so volunteers would respond using wet hessian bags, branches, blankets, water in buckets and sheer determination.
Today, the town has a reticulated water supply and the brigade has an engine bay filled with a modern fleet of vehicles, including two tankers, a pumper, a field command vehicle and a rehab unit.
Rochester Fire Brigade members came together to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the service.
Photo by
Contributed
Captain Luke Warren, who has served with the brigade for 25 years and is in his 10th year of captaincy, said the support from the community and surrounding brigades who marched and celebrated was overwhelming to see and a true representation of the spirit of CFA.
“We are really excited about reaching this milestone and it’s a privilege to lead such a dedicated and resilient bunch of people through it,” Mr Warren said.
“Milestones like this stir a real sense of pride and emotion, not just for those serving today, but for those who built the foundation we stand on.”
Rochester Fire Brigade members fighting the Murray Goulburn fire in January 1984.
Photo by
Contributed
The brigade has been at the frontline of many major emergencies, including the Murray Goulburn fire, Criterion Hotel fire, code red day at Strathallan and most recently the 2022 Rochester flood events.
“Many of our members faced personal loss during the floods but continued to selflessly serve our community with sandbagging, clean-up and rescue efforts,’’ Mr Warren said.
The brigade has grown in diversity of its operational members, with the brigade now comprising 59.4 per cent men and 40.6 per cent women.
Rochester tankers in 1979.
Photo by
Contributed
“We’ve seen a fantastic increase in the number of operational female firefighters over the years,” Mr Warren said.
“It’s been very rewarding to work alongside so many capable women on the fire ground, including my partner, who joined 15 years ago.”
The brigade has much to look forward to in the next 50 years with the announcement of a new fire station, a thriving junior development program and the delivery of a new state-of-the-art pumper in the near future.
Belgravia (early Rochester) fire station.
Photo by
Contributed
“We have built strong momentum here at Rochester and we hope to keep it rolling,” Mr Warren said.
“I hope when I’m 75 and need a fire truck, a well-trained and well-equipped crew will roll out the door, just like we always have.”
7°C