Echuca Fire Brigade celebrates 150 years of serving community

To put his brigade’s sesquicentenary in perspective, captain Daniel Moylan told guests at Saturday night’s anniversary dinner that Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade wasn’t established until 1891 — 19 years after Echuca.

He then compared Echuca’s seniority on a global scale with the New York Fire Department, founded in 1865 — just seven years before Echuca.

“I am proud to be able to stand beside every member of our brigade today just as we are all equally proud to stand here in the footsteps of the hundreds and hundreds of local men and women who have gone before us across those 150 years,” Daniel said.

“You look at the members we have with 50 years-plus service and then see younger firefighters such as Daniel Phyland, who is only 20 but has already been part of the brigade for six years, all working together and you know the future is in good hands; when you have a new member, such as Doug Amos, who has been with the brigade just 12 months but has already attended 126 callouts, you know your brigade will continue to deliver its commitment to serve and protect our community.”

Daniel Phyland, who looked stunned when his name was read out, was still trying to comprehend what had just happened when he was swamped by friends and members after receiving his award.

“I did not see this coming, it is such an incredible shock,” he said.

“I started as a junior after passing the station one day on my way home from school, and saw some of the current juniors having a good time, so I thought I would give it a go. That was six years ago and it is now such a major part of my life, and I have made so many good friends.”

A highlight of the dinner was the presentation of life membership and service awards.

Three new life members — Warren Dwyer, Robert Farrow and Mark Hooper — were honoured while service medals went to the following:

Vlad Kowal — 5 years;

Warren Dwyer — 35 years;

Norm Childs — 45 years;

Ron Hooper — 65 years; and

Mark Hooper — National Clasp.

Daniel also pointed out the growing strength of the brigade’s junior program, which has seen a resurgence post COVID — Wednesday nights have seen numbers grow from eight to 20.

He said a lot of that credit went to brigade members who had worked hard to provide the junior participants with an appealing mix of an introduction to firefighting responsibilities to competition and fitness training.

“Watching from the sidelines on some of these nights it is fantastic to see the changes in these youngsters, many of whom go from being shy and not saying too much to have some great discussions with each other and building great friendships — friendships we hope will grow into the brigade proper,” Daniel added.

“I also want to give a special shout out to the three members — Darren McGarvie, Col Atkinson and Fourth Lieutenant Jordan Simpson — who are the team inspiring our next generation of volunteer members.

“Post COVID it was also great for us to be able to get back into this year’s Good Friday Appeal, raising almost $31,000; and we also had eight members recently take part in the Melbourne stair climb to raise $8000 for Mental Health Charities.

“And speaking of members who have gone above and beyond the call, we already have eight to attend more than 100 calls for the year — lieutenants Mark Hooper, Alex Green, Rhys Pontelandolfo and Jordan Simpson, as well as Shae Bruns, Doug Amos, Carter Williams and Daniel Phyland.

“We also have several others coming very close to that number and I believe this is a truly amazing effort by those members and is testament to their dedication to their local community and the CFA.”

The brigade also used the dinner to launch volume two of its book Bell to Siren. Volume one covered the first 130 years of the brigade to 2002 and the supplementary 64-page edition filled in the gaps from the most recent 20 years.

The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, wrote the foreword and officially launched the book.

He told the dinner “there is perhaps no greater demonstration of community than the volunteer firefighter”.

“I can’t think of any other volunteers who are required to put themselves freely and unselfishly in harm’s way on an almost daily basis as a way of serving their community,” Mr Walsh said.

“Supported by their families, who are as much a part of the frontline response, and many generous employers, they continue to put all others above self, and they stand strong where many others would fear to tread.

“Each and every one of them has worked tirelessly for this community, they have grieved with it through tragic times and they have celebrated community spirit with it in good times.

“A great debt is owned to each and every one of them for that.”