The 27 years I have been a member of the Shoreham Fire Brigade seem to have flown by and, just as the founders of the brigade must have seen many changes, so too have l, especially in the past 11 years when I have been Captain. Many of the changes have been driven by circumstances especially the 1983 bush fires, the problem of litigation and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. When I first arrived at the Fire brigade, the main piece of firefighting equipment was a 500 gallon tank on a trailer. This was stored in the pine trees in the vicinity of Clyde McKenzie’s house. Glen Cornish had a vehicle capable of towing it, but it was always a dangerous exercise as the trailer was very difficult to stop.
The first fire truck (an Austin) arrived before the station was built and was housed at the Wright’s sawmill. The second truck was a 1340 International two wheel drive and this was superseded by a four wheel drive International. The acquisition of our present truck proved to be quite eventful. Dandenong headquarters rang to inform me that a new tanker with the appropriate Shoreham markings was ready for delivery. There was one query and that was the height of our fire station door – it was not going to fit. After some discussion within the fire brigade, it was decided to extend the station to its current configuration – now the truck fitted with plenty of room to spare.
Our communications systems have come a long way since the early Phillips radio purchased by the Ladies Auxiliary – the call sign for the tanker being 220 and the mobile 900. Compared with nowadays, they were primitive things verging on being useless. Even communications between the tanker and the fireman on the end of the hose was nearly inaudible. Consequently, they remained in storage for most of the time and became inoperable because the batteries leaked and destroyed the wiring.
It is worth mentioning that Shoreham Fire Brigade was the first brigade within the group to introduce a 4×4 support vehicle. A Holden Rodeo was purchased in 1983 and our present Rodeo is the 6th support vehicle. Since the changeover of the first vehicle, it has cost no more than $200 on subsequent occasions to update to the next model.
Having bought the support vehicle, a quickfill pump was also acquired. It was a difficult piece of machinery as we could not always successfully prime it. Red Hill happened to have a Rabbit pump that was self-priming, with the capacity to deliver a large volume of water. We clearly had to get something like this. Unfortunately, the pump was not available but the latest and greatest pump on the market was a Tohatsu, which retailed at the exorbitant price of $8,000. As luck would have it, Lets Elope won the Melbourne Cup and its owner, Dennis Marks, lived in Higgins Lane. Paul Murphy mentioned to me that Dennis would be interested in helping the brigade so I was despatched to him to explain our needs. He wrote out a cheque for the required amount – including enough to purchase 20 chairs for our meeting room.
When we extended the Fire Station to accommodate the new tanker, there was a pressing need to include a radio room. This was accomplished and everyone was proud of the achievement. Not long after, Mal Barry thought he would hone his driving skills with the new tanker. Unfortunately, he selected reverse instead of first and backed through our new radio room.
At the time, all fires have the potential to be serious, but there have been some lighter moments. Some time ago we were called to a fire on the foreshore below Pt Leo Farm owned by Rene White’s family. Ron McKillop was driving the tanker but he still had the hand brake engaged. Wherever he drove across the paddock spot fires were breaking out. I didn’t exactly cover myself in glory either as I managed to back the support vehicle over a steep washaway and had to be pulled out by the tanker once it had cooled down.
For Shoreham to have an efficient crew, training is important. People are very busy and it has been difficult to develop a program. Nevertheless, each Sunday members refresh their skills and we have had evening sessions to introduce the latest fireground practices. Just lately 5 of us qualified to operate breathing apparatus which will add another dimension to our firefighting capabilities. In the time that I have been a member of the CFA, we have never failed to respond to a fire in our own area, nor has a home been totally lost.
The association with our neighbouring brigades has been of benefit to all of us. Two years ago, I offered an invitation to Main Ridge and Red Hill to participate in a quickfill challenge. We won handsomely on the first occasion but lost miserably last year. Regardless, it was a chance to brush up on our quickfill techniques and enjoy each other’s company.
I have learnt so much over the years with my association in the CFA and regardless of the huge advances in technology, the most important element is the volunteer member. Shoreham has been particularly fortunate to have had and still have a group of men and women who contribute regularly to the successful running of the brigade. I thank them all for their support and contribution.
Bill Kleiss
An extract from Shoreham Rural Fire Brigade, 50th Anniversary Booklet (1999)