The Mosquito Creek CFA volunteers have been helping keep Lake Eppalock, Kimbolton and Mosquito Creek communities safe for 100 years.
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More than 100 current and former Mosquito Creek CFA members celebrated with milestone with the community at the weekend.
Captain Sheryn Gallagher said there were a lot of standout moments worth acknowledging.
“A lot of people who attended the centenary had a past connection to the brigade,” she said.
“One lady there was in her 90s and her dad was involved when Mosquito Creek first started. We managed to find a lot of old records and she was excited to see he dad's handwriting.
“Another of the big standouts for myself was the Paton family. Tim Paton was first president in 1918 and his grandson Trevor, who is now in his 70s, is still an active member.
“That has been family involved since the brigade’s foundation. If the pager goes off, Trevor is one of the first there getting the tankers ready to go.”
Mosquito Creek has 34 members that include 20 active firefighters.
Captain Gallagher said while membership was steady, recruiting younger members was a challenge.
“Like a lot of brigades we need to attract younger people,” she said.
“We might find it harder than others because we’re on banks of Lake Eppalock and have no township.
“People either move away for work or (commute) to Bendigo and have to drive 30 minutes back to get on the tanker. That’s one of our challenges we face in turning out the trucks during the day.”
Captain Gallagher is the only female captain in the 13 brigades included in the Eppalock group.
Now in her third year as captain, she has found a lot of support from fellow members.
“I was probably a bit nervous because I did not have as much fire experience as other members. Traditionally captains do have that,” she said.
“A couple of other members said they would do it but it wasn’t the right timing. So I said I was happy to have a go if it means it’s the best for the brigade.
“The way CFA has changed over the years, the captain role is more like a manager, there is more administration than captains used to have to to do.
“But the brigade has been fantastic and very supportive. They back me all the way. The Eppalock group also very supportive. I’m not treated any different, which is fantastic, and I don’t want to be.”
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