By Tanya Faulkner
Firies have been left feeling emotional and grateful to their community after the announcement of a surprise grant.
The Ferntree Gully branch of Bendigo Bank has reached into their pockets and hearts, donating $140,000 across all of the local CFA brigades in the Knox municipality.
The seven brigades covering the City of Knox will each receive $20,000 to use for the support and safety of CFA volunteers.
Bendigo Bank Ferntree Gully Board Chair Eve John hopes it will go some way to show the volunteer firefighters how much their service means to the Knox community.
“These amazing men and women are on call 24/7 to keep us safe.
“We are extremely fortunate to be so well served by such a dedicated volunteer service,” she said.
Ms John said many locals in the community are concerned with the potentially catastrophic conditions in the lead up to summer and beyond.
Bayswater CFA Captain, Jamie McFarlane said the bank’s dedication to the community’s safety is truly praiseworthy.
“This generous $20,000 contribution will provide the Bayswater Fire Brigade volunteers with the strength and unity needed to face the potential challenges of the upcoming bushfire season“, he said.
Ferntree Gully Captain Seamus Smith also nominated training aids, education and equipment to keep the volunteers safe as the highest priority.
“This generous gift from the community bank lets that happen. We were blown away with this unexpected donation“, he said.
For Mr Smith, this donation will go a long way for his brigade in particular, allowing more free time for his volunteers who dedicate their time to the Ferntree Gully community.
“This means some of our volunteers, who put a lot of time and effort into fundraising efforts, can take a step back.
“We strive to provide the most effective service for both the community, and for our volunteers in the brigade, with the best equipment we can.
“The extra time that would normally be spent on fundraising can now go into extra training for our team, or for our volunteers to have more time to spend with their family and friends,” he said.
The Basin CFA’s 1st Lieutenant Robert and Deputy Comms Officer Jim attended the night hosted by Bendigo Bank on Wednesday 25 October to receive their donation on behalf of their brigade.
In a post shared to Facebook, they said “this amazing donation will go a long way to assist us in purchasing new shorts, gloves, a washing machine, some tech, training equipment and upgrades to our station for our members to enjoy especially coming into the fire season”.
Ms John said she was proud to lead a local bank that had put back into the local community almost $5Million since its inception more than 22 years ago.
“This is what community banking is.
“It’s about thanking our shareholders and customers for their faith and support and giving back to our community“, she said.
Bendigo Bank board member Des Higginbotham said overall they gave away $350,000 at the recent grants night, including the $20,000 to each of the CFA brigades, and a further and $10,000 to several community clubs.
