Volunteer firefighters from north-east Victoria gathered at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve on the weekend for the Victorian Firefighter Championships.
CFA brigades from Strathmerton to Wodonga competed in six events on Sunday, March 20, each featuring common truck and hose field operations.
This was the 50th year the event has been held, bringing CFA brigades together to compete and exchange time-saving firefighting techniques.
“Every event is a replica of what we do on a fire ground,” Strathmerton Fire Brigade’s Billy Logie said.
“They represent the skills and training we do as brigades throughout the year and are a way of showing those skills off, as well as teaching younger members discipline, commitment and responsibility.
“I’d especially encourage locals who aren’t involved in CFA to come by, as they’ll be able to really see exactly what we do.”
The Urban Junior State Championships kicked off the competition, which saw urban CFA teams from across Victoria compete.
Urban competition rules committee chair Rob Waterson said the junior championships helped prepare the next generation of firefighters.
“They compete in both wet events and dry events, which involve fire ground practices like setting a hydrant, bowling a hose and squirting water,” he said.
“They also use smaller hoses and don’t run as far as seniors, but they do almost all the same events as seniors apart from having the running reel.”
School groups will visit the site throughout the week and the competition is open for the public on the weekend at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve with CFA State Rural and Urban Championships on Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27.
A CFA uniformed torch light parade is on Saturday, starting at 8.30pm at Sobraon St, Shepparton, proceeding down Wyndham St to the Shepparton Arts Museum.
“It’s great for CFA, because the public can come by and see what we do, and when young people see what’s going on, it can encourage them to go and join up with their local brigades,” Mr Waterson said.
“All the younger members also have parents and friends, so it’s great that all those people can come by.”