Community
7 November, 2026
Conversation the key to fire preparedness
ALLANSFORD locals had the chance to meet their local fire brigade members, and learn more about fire preparedness, when the station opened its doors to the public last month.
More than 250 people took advantage of the chance to visit the Allansford fire station on October 18 as part of the state-wide Get Fire Ready campaign.
Allansford brigade captain Dylan Henriksen said the event was a major success and an improvement from the year before, stemming as a great way to interact with the community and for locals to meet brigade members.
“It was a great set up, we had members stationed at different stands throughout the day,” he said.
“We had a public information one where members were helping people download the VicEmergency App and give advice on how to prepare their homes.
“We had a couple of members on the barbecue and a few on the fire truck engaging with the kids’ activities. Others greeted people as they were coming in and pointed them in the right direction.”
Mr Henriksen said people were free to roam around and engage in an activity that suited them.
“By the looks on the kids’ faces they had an absolute ball,” he said.
“We also had Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police join in too.”
The brigade’s community safety coordinator, Scott Barclay, organised the day and said the event allowed natural conversation with community members and was a simple way to reinforce important messages ahead of summer, given the grassland risk that borders the town of Allansford.
“We’re such a small town, but I really wanted to reinforce that just because we’re outside of Warrnambool doesn’t mean we won’t be affected,” Scott said.
“It was great to have the kids play with the squirty fire trucks and show bags, so we could chat to their parents to get an understanding of where they live, work, if they’re travelling over summer and what schools the kids go to as it builds knowledge for us when responding to fire calls.”
Scott was recently elected in the role and knowing Get Fire Ready was coming up he wanted to ensure the brigade collaborated with the major Saputo Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory nearby (as it is in the brigade’s response area).
“I wanted to get them on board, and we were lucky enough to have them supply milk for the kids and donate a cheese hamper,” Scott said.
“It was a great way to start a conversation with the community members as they first came in, as those that showed us their VicEmergency App or set up their watch zones went into a prize draw.”
Scott said all members had a role on the day, and it not only highlighted the essence of CFA, but also the diverse roles volunteers can play within the brigade for those who are interested in joining.
“We had long standing members on the barbecue, and others grabbing things from the supermarket. They are non-operational and still love to do those jobs and be part of the brigade,” Scott said.
Coming from Werribee Fire Brigade, Scott wanted to reinforce that just because Allansford Fire Brigade is smaller, it didn’t mean it had to reduce the size of its event.
“You can still put on a really good quality event, without going over the top, to be able to get those clear messages out to the community,” Scott said.
