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VFBV MEDIA RELEASE Thursday, 13 August 2015
The CFA volunteers’ association says 202 CFA Brigades are about to get great news about brand new fire trucks and equipment from this year’s Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP).
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) CEO Andrew Ford said news of the successful grants was announced this morning by the Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon Jane Garrett MLA.
“VESEP is a great program, this year over 200 CFA Brigades across the state will receive a share of $7.1 million in funding,” Mr Ford said.
“In addition, there was $1.9 million approved for other initiatives including funding for cold climate gear designed for volunteers attending callouts like road accidents and searches in inclement weather, where the CFA volunteers’ familiar yellow overalls don’t provide sufficient protection from the rain or cold,” he said.
“VESEP is really popular with CFA volunteers; we helped to design it, so it is low on paperwork and lets the Brigade pick from a list of trucks, equipment and fire station improvements that they can put to work for their local community”.
“The grants reward the countless hours volunteers spend in their communities raising funds for life saving equipment, and match local fundraising two for one, so a Brigade can apply for anything from a few hundred dollars for a chainsaw to $100,000 for a fire truck or specialist vehicle,” he said.
“The Brigade can choose a vehicle, operational gear, training equipment or a building project that suits their fundraising capacity and serves the local community’s needs,” Mr Ford said.
VESEP grants fund a wide range of useful projects and gear for CFA Brigades, including;
- Operational gear, such as chainsaws, pumps and generators,
- Vehicles and appliances, such as Field Command Vehicles, fire trucks and rescue trucks, and
- Improvements to fire stations, such as refurbishments like training and meeting rooms.
The $12 million VESEP program is also open to local volunteer groups from organisations including the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (AVCG), Life Saving Victoria (LSV), Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES).
“VESEP is a good example of how involving front line volunteers from the design stage of a program can make it a success that adds to the ability of local Brigades and other emergency units to protect the community,” Mr Ford said.
VFBV urges local Brigades to think about a VESEP application for next year, and provides useful tips and case studies in the VFBV VESEP Application Support Toolkit available online at www.vfbv.com.au to help with local Brigades’ applications.
CFA Brigades protect 60% of suburban Melbourne, regional cities and all of country Victoria, every day and night of the year.
NOTE TO BRIGADES - Considering applying for a VESEP grant in a future funding round? Click here for VFBV's useful tips and case studies from past successful applications to show you how it's done.
