Bushfire Volunteers’ President Dave Gossage AFSM
This year has been a belter to say the least, but as we all know, the southwest high risk period has only just begun .
Throughout the years, we’ve all seen the horror that bushfires can bring to our local communities. We only have to look back at the disasters that occurred across the country last summer – fuelled by record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought – to see the physical and emotional damage that fires can cause not only at the time, but also for years to come.
As devastating as last summer was for many of us who responded to local, intrastate and interstate incidents, the way we, as a community, responded reinforces the immense value of our unique Local Government Bush Fire Brigades and gives me enormous hope for the future.
Remember, our unique service enables local solutions to local challenges like no other. Over the years as a committee member, I’ve also seen first hand how our locally managed brigades build extremely tight-knit extended families that learn to trust and collaborate on and off the fireground.
I know it’s become a bit of a cliche but we ARE all in this together.
We always have each others backs all year round, especially over summer, but this year I ask everyone to go a little further than usual to reach out and make sure your volunteer family are ok. And importantly, please take a little more time than usual to look after yourself too.
While the office will be closed from Christmas Day to 4 January, if you need and information or support during that time, our dedicated team of Zone Representatives and paid Staff will remain available via phone and email, so please be sure to reach out if required.
Otherwise, we have a very exciting 2021 planned and I very much look forward to sharing many positive new member services and other initiatives with you in due course.
Wishing you and yours a very safe and Merry Christmas, and the happiest New Year!
Dave Gossage
On behalf of the whole Bushfire Volunteers team
PS. If you haven’t already listened and subscribed, check out the first brilliant episode in the new Podcast we launched yesterday, The Unpaid Professionals
