WHITTLESEA FIRE BRIGADE RUNNING TEAM:
VFBV State Championships are one of Victoria's proudest and longest traditions, running for nearly 150 years with the first State Championship held in Melbourne in 1873, with the volunteer associations running and organising these events some 70 years before CFA even existed. State Championships have continued annually since 1873 with no state event cancelled due to fire, flood, weather or natural disaster – the only cancellations being due to WW1 and WWII and COVID-19.
The Championships, initially known as ‘Demonstrations’ as they were viewed as a demonstration of firefighting skills, arose from an awareness that fire brigade operational response and training could be enhanced if it was performed in a competitive environment. Today, competitions and the State Championships remain an integral part of CFA activities, attracting every year volunteer and career firefighters from across the state and interstate, competing against each other in a range of events designed to hone their firefighting skills and put their skills to the test in a demonstration of their unique life and property saving skills. Speed and accuracy are vital as the firefighters compete in events using a range of traditional and modern-day firefighting equipment.
State Championships allow volunteer firefighters to test their skills and prowess against opposing Brigades in a congenial atmosphere and provides an opportunity to strengthen existing friendships and form new bonds with Brigade members throughout Victoria and interstate. Unlike a real bushfire or structural fire situation, which often pits firefighters against mother nature and where lives and property are at risk, these drill competitions are more firefighter versus firefighter, and Brigade versus Brigade, which allows for a more friendly opponent than mother nature.
The urban championships in the main involve traditional events and many still include the use of the reel as was the case in the early 1900s.
Whittlesea Fire Brigade have had a Running Team on and off since the 1950’s and have won numerous awards in events all over the state.
