By Tyler Wright
Emerald and Clematis Country Fire Association (CFA) Brigades will join forces to put on their first public firefighting demonstration before firefighter recruitment courses begin.
The brigades will use a mobile training prop at the Puffing Billy Railway Station on Saturday 30 April to show how they fight and combat fire as well allowing the public to see their fire trucks.
A spokesperson from the Emerald Fire Brigade said the training props are used by them three to four times a year and are used all over the state, so once used for training it will be “shipped off somewhere else”.
“There’ll be different types of firefighting techniques,” the spokesperson said.
“The prop itself will be a light industrial style, so it’s designed to simulate things like workshop fires, or places where there’s machinery or gas bottles.”
On the day the current recruit batch of five volunteers will be there to help run the demonstration as the brigade is always on the look out for new volunteers who live nearby.
“Because it’s real fire that will be present, it adds that element of realism,” the spokesperson said.
The demonstration, supported by Puffing Billy Railway, will be held on the IGA side of Emerald Railway Station.
When the fire-training prop is active, flames will be visible around the Puffing Billy Station in Emerald behind IGA.
Locals may also see a Fire Truck with red and blue lights flashing, but Clematis Volunteer Fire Brigade said they do not need to be alarmed.
Attendees are advised to follow all safety requirements & direction of CFA and Puffing Billy Railway.
The demonstration will run from 11:00am to 12:30pm on Saturday 30 April.
