80 years of service, backed by equipment for today

For 80 years, Marong Fire Brigade has been helping protect the township of Marong and surrounding communities.

Today, its 30-plus volunteers continue that work with modern equipment supported by Fosterville Gold Mine’s Community Grants Program.

FGM support has helped the brigade purchase a thermal imaging camera, giving crews the ability to see through smoke and darkness, locate people in low-visibility conditions and identify hotspots. The camera has already been put to use at local incidents and during the Harcourt fires earlier this year.

The brigade has also added five upgraded firefighting branches across its appliances, giving crews greater control over water flow and spray patterns, better protection from radiant heat and the ability to conserve valuable tank water.

This is particularly important when responding to rural incidents where access to additional water can be limited.

Both pieces of equipment are regularly used during training, helping volunteers become confident with them before they’re needed in an emergency.

“We really appreciate Fosterville Gold Mine’s ongoing support, it makes a genuine difference to how safely our volunteers can do their job” said Andrew Jochs, Marong Fire Brigade 1st Lieutenant.

With around 2,000 residents relying on the brigade locally, and crews also supporting neighbouring brigades during larger incidents, the equipment is helping Marong CFA continue an 80-year tradition of being ready when the community needs them.