General News
30 August, 2022
Volunteer's long road
WEDDERBURN volunteer firefighter Anne Hassell is facing a long process to be reinstated to active duty by the Country Fire Authority. Ms Hassell, who had been captain, was stood down last month after being diag-nosed with type one diabetes. The CF...
WEDDERBURN volunteer firefighter Anne Hassell is facing a long process to be reinstated to active duty by the Country Fire Authority.
Ms Hassell, who had been captain, was stood down last month after being diag-nosed with type one diabetes.
The CFA decision has left the volunteer brigade with an even more-depleted active membership.
Ms Hassell had been one of the brigade’s drivers and in the last fortnight Wedderburn was unable to respond to a support call because a driver was not available.
The CFA review process has required Ms Hassell to make medical specialist appointments and the first is next month.
“But from there, the whole process could take another four months,” she said.
“So just all up it could be six months or more before any review is finalised and the brigade is still without enough volunteers.”
Ms Hassell said awareness of the brigade’s plight raised in the Loddon Herald and state media had failed to spur local residents to join the brigade.
“Not one person has put up the hand to join,” she said.
“We’re a fully volunteer brigade. One of our volunteers is 70 and wants to hang up their (fire call) pager this year.
“Even if I go through the entire review process and am reinstated to active duties, it’s not a real fix. We still need more members in the brigade,”Ms Hassell said.
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