eastCOMP_76147_07.jpg: Bill Gordun starts the race. 76147
By Danielle Galvin
KOOWEERUP hosted the annual Eastern Districts Fire Brigade Competition on the weekend.
It’s the second time in 15 years that the firefighting skills competition has been held in the Cardinia Shire and the first time the swamp town has hosted it.
Kooweerup Fire Brigade captain Michael McNulty said more than 1000 people turned out for the event to support their fire brigades.
“It went really well, it was fantastic. It was also very well attended,” he said.
“There was a good combination of families of the guys competing, locals and other people curious about the competition.”
Shire councillors Stuart Halligan, Graeme Moore and George Blenkhorn popped in for a visit over the weekend, as well as council CEO Garry McQuillan.
The Drouin/ Bunyip brigades won the A section and the Maffra brigade won the B section.
“This year we had 26 brigades in the competition, which is quite a good turn out considering some years we’ve been as low as 14,” captain McNulty said.
The competition started on Saturday followed by a torchlight procession that night and competition early the next day.
“The idea is that it helps us maintain our basic firefighting skills. Teams have to push old fire carts by hand, it’s part of the program,” he said.
In previous years, the teams have competed in Maffra and Traralgon.
Captain McNulty said it was a nice change to host the competition in Kooweerup.
“We’d like to thank the local community for their support during the preparations and on the weekend,” he said.
