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1951
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May
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Meeting called to
form the Eden Hills Emergency Fire Service (EFS) on 10th May 1951 at 8:15pm.
This meeting was held in the Friends Hall in Wonoka Street, Eden Hills.
Approximately 15 people attended this meeting. Formation of the brigade
was moved by Mr Green and seconded by Mr Robertson.
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June
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First meeting of the
unit was on 7th June 1951 with 15 members present. The following members
were elected to positions: Leader Mr G Whitridge, Deputy Leader Mr J McClintock,
Equipment Officer Mr A Tregenza, First Aid Officer Mr K Fitton, Secretary
/ Treasurer Mr W Clarke. At this first meeting, offers to store the small
amount of hand fire-fighting tools were made by several people and they
included: Mr Ashby and Mr G Whitridge. There was much discussion regarding
a suitable site for erecting an equipment shed although at that stage
the brigade did not own a fire engine, only some hand tools.
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November
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Acquired 5 knapsacks
and an Alcon 1 1/2" 3hp pump with a 200 gallon tank and rubber hoses.
Mr Ashby's Buckboard was made available to carry this equipment. Some
of Mr Ashby's land is now called Wittunga, on Shepherds Hill Road, Eden
Hills, which the Botanic Gardens look after.
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1952
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January
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First 6 months to
January 1952 had 8 callouts.
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March
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Acquired 5 pair of
overalls and a standpipe and key. First competed in EFS competitions held
at Belair National Park, Belair. This tradition continued with many successful
regional and state titles won, until the late 1990's.
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November
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Purchased 1938 Ford
V/8 3 Ton truck for £145. The Alcon pump setup was installed on this truck.
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1953
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May
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Our members started
training on Friday nights, this tradition has continued to the present
day with formal training followed by a social chat between the members.
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September
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Purchased 200 feet
of 2nd hand canvas hose for 16/-
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October
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Construction of a
Fire Station in Parham Road, Eden Hills, was started by members of the
unit, with some materials being donated. The land was donated by Mr J
C Cheney on the 19th April 1953.
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1954
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May
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9 knapsacks and 2
fire extinguishers were purchased.
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1955
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January
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'Black Sunday Fires'
raged through the Adelaide Hills, our crew was there.
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February
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The truck was put
in the fire station for the first time.
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October
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Siren purchased and
the first meeting was held in the station.
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1956
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August
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Members volunteered
for flood relief work at Murray Bridge.
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1957
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May
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A HF radio was purchased
for the truck.
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July
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Purchased a Beresford
pump, 300 gallons per minute driven by an Austin motor, and a 1952 Triumph
twin motorcycle fitted with a red light and a siren, which was used to
relay messages prior to radios.
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1958
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September
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Gordon Whitridge and
his father were made life members of the Eden Hills EFS.
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1960
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March
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New International
truck delivered. This 5 ton model AA148, 6 cylinder, petrol motor costing
£5,000 was fitted with a General Motors built pump driven by a Ford 10hp
motor providing 300gpm. The truck had a 300 gallon tank fitted and the
cab was open style. The registration number was SA 343-647
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1961
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June
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Opening of the new
fire station on Northcote Road, Eden Hills, site of the present fire station.
This too was erected by unit members. The Mitcham Council generously donated
materials and assistance.
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1962
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January
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Third and fourth Senior
Firemen elected (T. Pearce and P. Hayden).
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1963
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January
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Letter re no beer
at station.
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1964
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August
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Eden Hills brigade
won the 'Best and Most Efficient Appliance and Crew" competition for the
3rd time in a row. The shield was donated by The Fire and Accident Underwriters
Association of SA.
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October
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Change of callouts
to Austas
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1967
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April
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First fire station
extensions started to include a kitchen and toilet.
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December
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Changed radios from
HF to VHF.
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1968
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March
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GMH pump became unusable,
bought a Magirus pump
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1969
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December
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2 Breathing Apparatus
acquired (Sebie Gorman sets) and members were given some basic training
in their use.
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1970
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July
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Lining of the Engine
Bay of the fire station by members.
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1971
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February
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Leather boots were
issued to members who had served over 4 years membership. These were issued
in order of rank at the rate of 2 pair per month until all members had
boots.
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1972
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October
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New truck arrived,
this D18180 V/8 petrol driven International truck was purchased for $15,000.
The body build up cost $7,000. It was fitted with the Magirus main pump
with a 10hp Briggs and Stratton along with a Gaam pump as an auxiliary
pump. The body for the truck was built by Anderson Body Builders located
at Brompton. This was to be the last red fire truck our brigade was to
have. Registration number RPU-131 1977
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1976
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New Country Fire Service
Act and Regulations were proclaimed. A new State Headquarters was established.
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1977
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April
June
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More fire station
extensions (front and back).
Change from Emergency
Fire Service (EFS) to Country Fire Service (CFS).
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1978
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June
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Pool table purchased
by the members of the brigade.
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1980
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February
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Ash Wednesday number
1 devastated the Adelaide Hills and its people. Our crews were there doing
what they could.
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1981
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February
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First 'Ash Wednesday'
Fires. Eden Hills Brigade assisted at Bridgewater.
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1983
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February
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Ash Wednesday number
2 hits the Adelaide Hills even harder than its predecessor 3 years earlier.
Several days of extreme conditions are faced by crew after crew. Eden
Hills Brigade assisted at Eagle on the Hill, Mt. Barker Road.
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August
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Station extensions
again, and brick cladding.
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1984
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August
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New vehicle (Eden
Pumper, still in service), Ford Louisville LN8000 with the body built
by Phil Wotton at Carey Gully engineering. The main pump being a PTO driven
American "Darley JMP400" two stage pump capable of delivering 800psi or
400gpm. The auxiliary pump is a Darley 1 1/2" pressure pump. Equipment
carried on this truck include all of the standard gear required for a
'Pumper class' appliance as dictated by the SA Country Fire Service as
well as hydraulic rescue equipment and Dangerous substance management
equipment.
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1985?
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September
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Hosted, together with
other brigades in the Mitcham Hills CFS Group, the State Finals of the
CFS competitions at Belair National Park, Belair.
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December
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Hydraulic rescue equipment
bought (FAG Lukas hydraulic gear including spreaders, cutters, ram, and
a variety of air operated tools such as air-hacksaw, air-chisel and air-bags).
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1986
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June
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Eden Hills CFS brigade
recognised as VAR (Vehicle Accident Rescue) and DS (Dangerous Substance)
brigade.
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September
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"Black day - the first
women joined the brigade as active fire-fighters!" - tongue in cheek quote
from a past member. Still active members to this day they were quickly
adopted and respected as equals having already served as cadet firefighters
with the Mitcham Hills CFS Group cadets for a number of years. Female
firefighters are treated completely equally to the men wearing the 20kg
knapsacks, 15kg Breathing Apparatus and driving both fire appliances.
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November
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The International
truck (Eden 22) was painted the colour white due to CFS policy on all
appliances being purchased or repainted had to conform to being white.
This was considered very sad for our members, and a end to some history.
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1987
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Fence and side enclosure
built for car storage at side of station.
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1988
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Mt Remarkable fires
become one of our most memorable couple of days fighting fires in another
region far from our own area while the rest of our crew stay to protect
our home patch.
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1990
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'Oxyviva' oxygen resuscitation
equipment purchased.
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1991
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May
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40th Anniversary of
brigade celebrated by past and current members.
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1993
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December
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Major flooding at
Two Wells and Langhorne Creek areas gives our crews many opportunities
to perfect their sandbagging techniques and furniture stacking.
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1994
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January
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Eden Pumper together
with crew was sent to Sydney, New South Wales, to help with fighting the
bushfires there. This was the first interstate callout our brigade had
ever gone to.
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|
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Eden 24 purchased.
This Isuzu FTS700 twin crew cab is a diesel engined, four-wheel-drive
with a body built by Moore engineering, Murray Bridge. It has a Darley
HM500 main pump with a Darley 1 1/2" auxiliary pump and 70m 25mm high
pressure rubber hoses. The added benefit of the crew cab is in all the
crew having safe and comfortable seating traveling to and from fire and
emergency conditions.
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Eden 22 (International
truck) was retired from active duty after 22 years of faultless, reliable
service with the exception of a few minor differential problems. This
truck was sold through the government auction system and has since been
seen by some of our members being used as a farm truck.
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1998
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Mitcham Hills CFS
Group merged with Coromandel Valley and Cherry Gardens CFS brigades (formerly
from Happy Valley CFS Group) to form the Sturt CFS Group together with
the Sturt National Park CFS brigade housed in the Belair National Park.
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June?
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Mitcham Hills CFS
Cadet Group formed, now called Sturt CFS Group Cadets, changed their training
to be based at the Eden Hills Fire Station but still utilises the skills
and dedication of members from all over the Sturt Group area to teach
and train our future CFS firefighters and volunteers emergency skills,
safety and volunteer ethics.
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August
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First female Senior
Fire-fighter elected - (who said it'd never happen??)
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2002
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May
|
40th Anniversary of
brigade celebrated by past and current members.
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2002
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January
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Two members are sent
to NSW to crew CFS vehicles from other areas to help battle their bushfires.
These bushfires raged for 19 days until rain finally arrived.
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October
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Four members are sent
to NSW to help battle more bushfires. With summer not even started yet
New South Wales is facing their worst ever bushfire season - much of Australia
is in severe drought and the long term prognosis is one of extreme fire
danger this summer in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
and here in South Australia. A major fire in Flinders Chase National Park
on Kangaroo Island signifies the start to our own 'busy' Summer.
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| |
November
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Our 'Fire Danger Season'
is brought forward one month to November 1st due to poor rainfall levels
which increase the bushfire risk, this brings in extra fire restrictions
to our area.
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| 2003 |
January
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Our brigade's web
site goes 'live'.
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| |
|
Two members are sent
to Victoria to help their local crews working on several fires throughout
the alpine region. Meanwhile the Australian Capital Territory is hit by
devastating fire hitting Australia's capital city, Canberra, in what is
one of the most destructive killer fires in Australian history, destroying
over 500 homes. As most of Australia is suffering severe drought conditions,
including our own state our ability to send crews to help is very limited
as we are also in the midst of extreme fire danger conditions with very
high temperatures, strong winds and high risk fuel conditions throughout
the state. |
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May
|
Our brigade is asked
to supply personnel and a Fire Truck (2 officers and our 'Eden Pumper'
Fire Appliance) to 'star' in an Australian movie 'Thunderstruck' which
is being filmed at the local community RSL (Returned Services League).
It took 11 hours to complete the scenes we were involved in. The film
is scheduled to be released in January 2004 so keep an eye out for our
stars! Autographs available.
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|
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A slightly sad end
of an era as our original Fire Station at Parham Road (built in October
1953) is demolished by the owner to make way for a newer, larger garage.
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| 2005 |
January
|
Lower
Eyre Peninsula was devastated by fires that killed 8 people, destroyed
more than 50 homes, damaged 235 farming properties - many of them completely,
and destroyed 83,000 hectares. This incident was later to be named 'Black
Tuesday'. In the days that followed, several of our brigade members were
sent over to work on the fireground using Edilillie's appliance to relieve
local crews who needed a rest. Other members from our brigade were involved
in management roles for this incident in the days that followed.
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July
|
Arrival
and commissioning of our new Type 2 Appliance - the new Eden Pumper as
well as the decommissioning of the original Eden Pumper (Formerly 'Eden
51')
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Changeover of hydraulic
rescue equipment from FAG Lucas Heavy Rescue to Holmatro Rapid Intervention
gear including Combi-tool, Ram and Pump. Removal of Air-bags. |
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December
|
One
member sent to Cleve fire in combined crew from Sturt Group.
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