Community support boosts morale for volunteer firefighters

Community support has been a significant morale boost for volunteer firefighters in brigades around the shire and beyond while fighting catastrophic fires around the North East. Local brigade members have been overwhelmed by the response to Facebook posts updating the community on their ongoing resource commitment to assist fires and thanking the community for donations. Beechworth Fire Brigade volunteer Hannah Hunt said people taking the time to say “thank you” reminded volunteers what they’re doing matters to the community. “It also reinforces connection between the brigade and locals, and boosts morale during long and stressful periods,” she said. “It’s a real reminder that people appreciate not just the job done, but the people doing it as with the current fire situation in Walwa and Corryong. “The support we see from locals in gestures, in words, and in actions directly contributes to volunteer wellbeing and community safety.” Across Victoria, multiple large bushfires have been burning through the state of Victoria with the Walwa fire among them. Hannah said neighbouring brigades on the fire ground are being supported by Beechworth Fire Brigade strike teams. “At the same time, the broader Victorian fire crisis has so far burned hundreds of thousands of hectares, destroyed hundreds of structures and required an enormous multi-agency response,” she said. “This places sustained pressure on volunteer firefighters not just in the North East but across the state.” Hannah said within Beechworth’s local region, neighbouring brigades are supported while ensuring sufficient crew members remain to tackle local calls. “This extends our response area from Stanley, Chiltern, Myrtleford, and Everton and takes a lot of coordination from captains from other brigades to provide enough members and to manage fatigue management within the team,” she said. As a volunteer brigade, she said encouraging people who can volunteer to join strengthens non-operational roles and operational capacity. “This spreads the load more sustainably, and builds resilience in communities across the shire,” she said. For Stanley Fire Brigade captain Chris Smith, fire brigades are part of the heart of small rural communities. “Stanley residents have always shown strong support, both in generous donations and supportive feedback,” he said. The captain said an impromptu fundraiser held at The Stanley Pub last weekend was supported by local entertainers generously giving their time. “This provided valuable funds at a time where we were incurring costs,” he said. “We’ve had residents from around Walwa approach our crew members to thank them for what they’re doing and saying how our presence alone gives them at least some peace of mind.” Chris also said people from Beechworth and Stanley continue to drop off much needed drinks and snacks which are gratefully received. “They have been extraordinarily generous, and we can’t thank them enough,” he said. The Stanley brigade provided day and night shifts for the first few days to the Walwa fire, with night shift crews since Saturday. “This can stretch a small brigade, so we work with Beechworth and other brigades to provide full crews,” he said. “Sometimes Stanley people work as strike team leaders or work with other brigades." Chris said community recognition is crucial to the morale of the teams. “Firefighting on strike teams can be very tiring work, mentally and physically,” he said. “Knowing that what they are doing is valued and appreciated certainly lifts the spirits.”

Community support boosts morale for volunteer firefighters

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