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Members refresh their First Aid skills  - 2/08/2008                                                

A group of volunteer firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade undertook their annual First Aid / CPR refresher training today. Like all workplaces, volunteer fire brigades in the CFA  require a team of personnel who are trained in treating medical emergencies. Such training also enables our firefighters to support paramedics, where required, at incidents such as car accidents or house fires. 

Today's course is yet another example of the on-going training that our members undertake in order to keep their skills fresh and up to date with current standards.     

House damaged after early morning roof fire  - 26/07/2008

A house has been spared considerable damage after members from the Riddells Creek and Sunbury fire brigades were responded to a roof fire on Settlement Rd at around 9.30 this morning. At the peak of the fire, up to 30 firefighters and 5 fire appliances battled to prevent the fire from moving along the house through the roof cavity. 

Thanks to the speedy response from those who attended, most of the damage was contained to the roof and thankfully most of the homeowners contents were saved from fire and water damage. At this stage the cause of the fire is under investigation; a task which was assisted by  the use of a special thermal imaging camera called upon from the Greenvale fire brigade.  

Recent chimney fire should encourage others to clean their chimney regularly  - 14/07/2008

Crews from the Riddells Creek and Bolinda/Monegeeta fire brigades were called to a chimney fire on the Gisborne-Kilmore Rd shortly after 6am this morning. It's believed that a build up of soot contributed to the fire but thankfully the blaze was contained to within the chimney. Given the recent spell of cold weather, residents with wood heaters are encouraged to ensure that their chimney or flue is swept on a regular basis to prevent this scenario from occurring.    

Riddells Creek helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - 10/07/2008

Newly installed bicycle racks at the Riddells Creek Fire Station will allow members of the local fire brigade to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and therefore reduce their impact on climate change. The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade applied for a CFA Environment Grant  during December 2007 with the only condition being that any money must go towards an initiative that would benefit the natural environment and reduce the effects of climate change. Given that a significant portion of the members of the brigade regularly chose to cycle to the fire station, it was decided that there was a need to provide facilities for those members to secure their bicycle's while at the fire station and therefore, a strong case to apply for the funding. It's believed that the new racks will now encourage members to chose to cycle rather than to drive to the fire station, which will no doubt bring about a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

House fire sparked by electrical fault - 16/06/2008

Firefighters from the Riddells Creek and Sunbury fire brigades were called to a house on Sunbury-Riddell road this morning. After receiving the call shortly before 10am, 20 fire-fighters and 5 fire trucks were needed to extinguish the blaze. Thanks to the efforts of the two fire brigades, the fire was contained to the kitchen and roof areas of the small timber house but unfortunately smoke damage occurred to the majority of the building. An investigation into the cause of the fire determined that the fire started due to an electrical fault in the oven. 

Brigade members undertake extensive Breathing Apparatus training. - 01/06/2008

A team of 8 fire-fighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade are making great progress towards achieving their Breathing Apparatus (BA) qualification. After beginning the program during late April, the class have reached the halfway mark of the 12 week training course. Upon completion of the training program, the 8 volunteer fire-fighters will have the necessary skills and abilities to wear breathing apparatus in hazardous environments. Combating incidents such as house fires or hazardous materials spills will become some of the many scenarios where these members will be able to employ their new skills. 

After learning the basic ways in which to search a smoke filled building for casualties, the class have now moved on to learn how to wear and operate a compressed air breathing apparatus. The pictures below depict some of the earlier training sessions which involved practising their search methods with impaired visibility. By early July, it's anticipated that all of the 8 candidates will pass their assessment and become the next generation of structural fire-fighters here in Riddells Creek.        

Riddells Creek members reach for greater heights as DGO's.... - 15/05/2008

Following the bi-annual elections for the Mt. Macedon Fire Brigades Group tonight, the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade are pleased to announce that ex-captain Marcus Bootle and current captain Dave Thompson, were elected to the position of "Deputy Group Officers" which will take effect as of July 1st, 2008. Brigade member Terri Boydle was also re-elected to be one of three Deputy Group Comms Officers for the area.  

Out of control burn-off gives residents a scare - 15/05/2008

Shortly before 3pm today, the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade were called upon to support Gisborne and Sunbury Fire Brigades at a 3 acre grass fire near Outlook Lane, Gisborne. What originally started as a private burnoff soon became a fast moving grass fire as wind fanned the out-of-control blaze along the Jacksons Creek gorge. Steep slopes and rocky terrain made access to the fire all the more difficult, which resulted in the fire-fighters only being able to access the fire by foot. 

Fire Restrictions lifted across Macedon Ranges and Hume shires. - 01/04/2008

Residents from Riddells Creek and the surrounding areas are advised that as of 1am on the 1st May, 2008, Fire Restrictions were lifted in the Macedon Ranges and Hume shires. Anyone wishing to now take the opportunity to burn off need to be aware that council By-Laws still limit what people can and can't burn. More information can be found at our Fire Restrictions page. If you have any queries about burning off, don't hesitate to contact us on 5428 6000.  

Brigade election results - 08/04/2008

Tonight the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade held their elections in order to select their officers and managers for the next 2 year period. After 8 wonderful years as service as Captain, Dave Thompson decided it was time to step aside and make way for a new brand of leadership within the brigade. The Brigade would like to take this opportunity to thank Dave for his leadership over the past 8 years and we wish all of the following office bearers the best of luck when they officially commence their duties on July 1 later this year. 

Captain: Toby Tresise 

1st Lieutenant: Nick Tschuck

2nd Lieutenant: Alex Batty

3rd Lieutenant: Dean Anderson

4th Lieutenant: Chris McColley

Comms Officer: Ross Hall

Secretary: Michael Hemingway

Treasurer: Peter Tisdall

Training Manager: Martin Leitch

Equipment Manager: Marcus Bootle

Catering & Support Manager: Louise Hemingway

Community Safety Manager: Dean Anderson

JFB Coordinator: Mark White

FEM Coordinator: Don Clark

Fire Restrictions continue to remain in force in Riddells Creek area until May 2008-  21/03/20

As the weather begins to get a little colder, it's easy to fall into the trap of assuming that fire restrictions have been lifted. However, fire restrictions are still in place in the Riddells Creek area and will continue to be in effect until 1st May, 2008. So as a word of cation, please remember that burning off without a written permitted is still prohibited and punishable by law. For more information about fire restrictions, please click here.  

$2000 raised for the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday appeal!  21/03/2008

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade would like to extend a warm thank you to the many people who donated to the 2008 Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday appeal today. Thanks to the efforts of a number of volunteer fire-fighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade, a total of $1950 was collected at the annual Easter sale at Webbers Garden Centre and outside the Riddells Creek post office. This sum marks a record taking since the fire brigade have started collecting for the appeal. 

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade would like to thank the team at Webbers Garden Centre for their annual support to the appeal and look forward to raising even more towards this worthy cause next year.

Riddells Creek members undertake teamwork and leadership training -  18/03/2008

Fighting fires would have to be regarded as one of the few jobs that requires such a high level of teamwork and group cooperation. 

In order to nurture a team oriented culture, members at the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade have recently undertaken teamwork and leadership training. The theoretical aspects of this session were reinforced through a number of hands-on team building activities; all of which aimed to improve the way in which our volunteer fire-fighters perform and function as teams.

Differences in peoples age, gender, culture and background are some of the many reasons that have lead to the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade being such a diverse collection of people. The images below captured some of the moments during this course where the brigade members were required to pull together as a team and work towards achieving a set task.  

Suspicious person acting as fire-safety salesman-  13/03/2008

Recently there have been reports of an individual going from door to door in the Riddells Creek community offering advice and products regarding summer and winter fire safety. Please note this individual is not associated with the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade or Country Fire Authority. During the summer season the Riddells Creek Brigade conducts the Bushfire and Emergency Services Expo along with a number of Fire Ready Victoria and Community Fire Guard presentations throughout the town. Residents will be advised of these events via the Riddell Round Up and associated CFA mail drops.

All CFA members are issued with a personal identification card and I encourage all resident to ask for this documentation to be produced if someone approaches your home.

This matter has been reported to Victoria Police and is currently being investigated.

Heat wave hits Victoria  -  12/03/2008

With the mercury set to reach or exceed 30 degrees for the next seven days the community are reminded that Fire Restrictions Are In Force. There is a good chance that many of these days will also be declared Total Fire Bans and everyone is urged to remain vigilant. Although some soaking rain during January brought a green tinge to the countryside there is still plenty of dry material that will burn.

Check here for Total Fire Ban

Check here for Fire Restrictions

Check here for Can I or Can't I

Man lucky to be alive after freak tractor accident - 24/02/2008

A male aged in his late 40's is lucky to be alive after a freak accident involving a grass slasher today. The male victim was using the tractor to slash an area of grassland at Riddell Airfield before becoming trapped underneath a slasher attachment shortly after noon today. 

Crews from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade had arrived at the Websters Road address within 5 minutes of receiving the call, shortly before the arrival of ambulance, police and volunteers from the Gisborne SES unit.    

The large team of emergency service personnel spent spent up to one hour using specialised hydraulic jacking equipment to free the occupant  from under the slasher.

Initial investigations into the cause of the accident have lead emergency crews into believing that the slasher operator had fallen from the tractor before being dragged underneath and becoming trapped. After sustaining minor injuries and being treated on scene by paramedic crews, the patient was airlifted to hospital in a stable condition. Click on the images below to enlarge.  

Fire safety DVD delivered to all homes in Riddells Creek  - 5/02/2008

More than 100,000 households that may be at risk of bushfires around the state, including those homes in Riddells Creek,  will soon receive a free fire safety DVD - Living on the Edge. CFA with the support from RACV Insurance, have produced the nine-minute DVD which provides practical advice on how to deal with the threat of fire. For those residents who have not received a copy of this DVD within the next week or two, feel free to contact us. Copies of this DVD will also be available from selected RACV retail shops by  mid-February.

House fire under investigation  - 30/01/2008

CFA members from the Riddells Creek and Gisborne Fire Brigades attended a derelict house-fire in Gisborne overnight. Crews were alerted to the Brady Road fire shortly after 11pm but the fire quickly took hold of the abandoned weatherboard house. At present, the cause of the fire is still unknown but is being treated as suspicious. 

Merry Christmas from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade - 25/12/2007

From everybody at the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody in Riddells Creek a very Merry and safe Christmas! 

Santa makes flying visit to Riddells Creek!- 24/12/2007

Before commencing his world wide tour this evening, Santa made a quick stop-over here in Riddells Creek. All of the children of Riddells Creek were treated to a surprise bag of lollies as Santa travelled the streets of the town with the help of the local fire truck. Thank you to all of the residents who took this opportunity to say "thank you" to the Fire Brigade and your kind words, and in some cases the gifts, were greatly appreciated.  

Congratulations to those who received this years awards!- 23/12/2007

Today's Christmas lunch was the perfect opportunity to recognise some of the outstanding contributions made by members of the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade during 2007. A presentation concluded today's lunch which saw a number of awards being issued to some of the Brigade members. We would like to congratulate the following recipients...

• Alex Batty - Fire-fighter of the Year

• Martin Leitch - Recruit Fire-fighter of the Year

• Geoff Thorpe - 1st Lieutenants Encouragement Award  

• Marcus Bootle - 30 Year Long Service badge.

• Jim Skillen - 20 Year Long Service badge.  

• Toby Tresise - Certificate II In Public Safety (Firefighting Operations) 

Local's pitch in to help create new uniform room. - 12/12/2007

A new new state-of-the-art storage room has been constructed at the Riddells Creek Fire station thanks to the generous support from a few local tradesmen. Rex Bennett and Travis Stevens (WeKan Constructions) donated considerable amounts of time towards the project which saw a new room created to store the brigade's uniforms. Rex supported the project by providing a number of pre-fabricated steel brackets whilst Travis from WeKan Constructions provided some fine carpentry skills by attaching the clothing racks into place. This new clothing room will make it safer and quicker for the fire-fighters of the brigade to change into their uniform as they arrive at the fire station for an emergency call. If you would like further details for businesses who helped with this project, feel free to Contact Us.  

House fire at Darraweit Guim - 5/12/2007

CFA crews from Riddells Creek, Romsey, Wallan, Clarkefield, Bolinda and Springfield were called to support the Darraweit Guim Fire Brigade this afternoon at a house fire on the Bolinda-Darraweit Road. In a bid to supply extra water for the firefighting effort,  Riddells Creek were called upon to respond their Tanker at around 3.10pm. Early reports into the fire indicate that the home was totally destroyed by the blaze. Investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing. 

Driver lucky to escape early morning crash - 23/11/2007

A middle aged man is lucky to be alive after he and his vehicle were involved in a serious car accident early this morning. Shortly after 2am this morning, CFA crews from Riddells Creek and Clarkefield were called to support the SES and Ambulance services with a vehicle that had come off the road and rolled repeatedly near the Bolinda Bridge on the Melbourne-Lancefield road. The occupant was trapped for up to an hour before finally being cut from the vehicle and transported to hospital by road. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Bushfire & Emergency Services Expo huge success  - 11/11/2007

With perfect weather this years Expo was a huge success with an estimated 1000 people attending and enjoying the day. People came from near and far to witness this event. Even from as far away as South Australia they made the trip.

Creating Safer Communities - Kathryn court burn-off   - 8/11/2007

Fine weather allowed the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade to conduct a fuel reduction burn-off in the Kathyrn court / Sutherlands road vicinity this evening. Apart from a large amount of smoke being generated, the burn-off went as planned. The aim of the burn-off was to reduce to amount gorse bushes in the reserve area at the end of Kathryn court.