The Montville Rural Fire Brigade is a relatively small unit in terms of numbers, with around a dozen active volunteer firefighters and about the same number of support crew and it is looking for more members. The current brigade members are rich in experience, well-resourced and maintain a high level of readiness for immediate action.
“When requested we also assist in other brigade areas,” said first officer Mark Roderick.
Montville RFB is classified by Queensland Fire and Rescue as a Class Four brigade, the highest level of readiness in rural firefighting. This is in acknowledgement of Montville's relative isolation from the nearest urban (full-time) firefighting units, and the relatively large number of both people and built structures (homes, shops, etc) in the brigade area.
“Class Four brigades are expected to be trained and equipped to the highest standards and to be able to work, when necessary, with urban firefighters, especially in what's known as the "i-zone" - the interface between urban and rural population areas, of which Montville and the Range generally are good examples,” said Mark.
“We are equipped with three firefighting trucks - two Medium Attack Isuzus and a Light Attack Nissan Patrol - which are maintained in a state of constant readiness.
“Members are called upon to fight fires, attend road accidents and similar emergencies involving a potential fire hazard. One callout a while back was to a plane crash, which thankfully proved to be minor with little damage or injury.
“Emergency callouts represent only a small part of what the Montville RFB does,” said Mark. The bulk of our work involves fire prevention, particularly in the off-season. We spend a great deal of time on hazard reduction activities, burning off agricultural waste stacks and other combustibles for local landowners and setting controlled fires to reduce fuel loads in high-risk bushland areas.
“We are on the lookout for local residents who wish to join us as we need more members. Hazard reduction in particular can be very time-consuming, so the greater our numbers, the more we can share the load.”
As well as the satisfaction of performing a vital role for the community, there are some tangible advantages to being a volunteer firefighter. Not only do you learn to safely manage fires of all types, members of the brigade are given free training in first aid, 4WD vehicle driving and maintenance, chain saw operation and other skills which are often found useful away from the fire ground.
For more information about the Montville RFB feel free to contact first officer Mark Roderick on 0409 480 058 or email montville_rfb@bigpond.com.