The Dayboro Grapevine - Dec2011_OUR FIRIES HELPING OTHERS

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Dec2011_OUR FIRIES HELPING OTHERS

Monday, 05 December 2011

In late 2001, Dayboro and District Rural Fire Brigade ordered its first real piece of firefighting apparatus from AAA Engineering at Crows Nest. It was a 'slip-on' unit, which consisted of a 600-litre poly water tank, a single hose reel and a Honda engine coupled to a Davey firefighter pump - all this was fitted to a steel chassis. The 'slip-on' unit was stored, empty of water, on a stand, which was appropriately called the 'Speedloader'. When required, the 'slip-on' unit could be easily slipped on to the tray of a 4WD utility, securely fastened with chains and, when the tank was filled with water, it would double as another firefighting appliance.

The 'slip-on' unit was recently replaced by a second-hand Nissan Patrol we managed to acquire from Russell Island.
PHOTO: Dayboro's new apparatus, the Nissan Patrol. Click to view: <a href="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/dayborograpevine/2011%20EDITIONS%20PHOTOS/DECEMBER%202011%20EDITION/p17_B_NissanPatrol_90x51_200dpi_clr.jpg"

I was contacted by a friend who told me that Rural Fire Brigades out west were really doing it tough and that he knew of a Brigade that would gladly take the 'slip-on' unit off our hands. Once the Nissan Patrol was modified to suit our needs, we made contact with Oxford Downs (via Augathella) Rural Fire Brigade First Officer, Bruce ELMES, and told him the unit was available.
He asked if we could freight it by road or rail to him at Augathella as he couldn't afford to be away from his property for the two-day return trip to Brisbane but we were concerned that the poly water tank may get damaged in transit.
I managed to borrow a utility - we (Gary FULLER, John FLEWELL-SMITH and I) loaded the unit on Friday night (11November).

PHOTO: Gary Fuller and John Flewell-Smith with the 'slip-on' unit and Speedloader, on the utility used to transport it to Augathella. Click to view: <a href="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/dayborograpevine/2011%20EDITIONS%20PHOTOS/DECEMBER%202011%20EDITION/p17_A_SlipOnUnit90x51-200dpi_clr.jpg"

Lexie and I left Dayboro on Saturday morning for the 10-hour trip which landed us in Augathella at 3pm, and we unloaded the unit at the local Produce Agency because Bruce could not get into town to meet us as he and his crew were fighting a major bushfire on his property, caused by a lightning strike. We left Augathella on Sunday morning for the 10-hour trip home.
Bruce sent one of his men into Augathella on Sunday morning to collect the unit, filled the tank with water and the engine with fuel, and drove back to the property and used the unit to fight the fire on his return from town. They couldn't believe how good a condition the unit was in.
PHOTO: Graham McQueen with our 'slip-on' unit at the fire at Augathella on Sunday night, 13 November. Click to view: <a href="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/dayborograpevine/2011%20EDITIONS%20PHOTOS/DECEMBER%202011%20EDITION/p17_C_AugathellaFire90x68_200dpi_clr.jpg"

Bruce contacted me on my return from Augathella to tell me how truly grateful they were to think that we cared so much for our mates in other Rural Brigades, especially those on the land out west, and for me to relay how very much they appreciated what we had done for them.
Glen Bell.