Like many rural fire brigades, Timmering is facing the challenge of an ageing volunteer base and is working to attract new, younger members.
The brigade currently has around 20 volunteers which includes 10 active firefighters and the remainder support in non-operational roles such as admin, maintenance and equipment support.
While this number is workable, more volunteers are always needed, especially daytime responders during weekdays when many existing members are working away from the area.
Timmering Fire Brigade captain Michael McKinlay said volunteers were vital to the organisation.
“Volunteers are hugely important ... we wouldn’t have anything without them,” he said.
“It’s not just the fires that we get called to — people jokingly say CFA stands for ‘call for anything’.
“We only get out of the CFA what we put in as an area, so if there’s no-one to get on the truck, if there’s no-one to help put out the fires, then you’re relying on the bigger urban centres to send their crews.”
He said the team was happy to take on any volunteers who are keen to learn.
“We’re looking for anyone with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn ... it doesn’t matter which gender, race, role, anything— we’re a big open door,” he said.
Volunteers are not expected to attend every job or every meeting.
New members are also provided with full training through the CFA at no cost, with opportunities to move into specialist roles such as incident management, fire investigation and air support.
Beyond firefighting, volunteers also assist with a wide range of emergencies including floods, rescues and community assistance tasks.
To apply to the Timmering Fire Brigade, visit https://tinyurl.com/29vzkhfc or contact Michael McKinlay on 0418 604 792.
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