THE tragic deaths of two people in the recent Pinery fines highlighted the superb work of the CFS, and the importance of supporting the organisation.
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One of the main groups to offer support to firefighters is the CFS Foundation.
The mission of the foundation is to provide financial support for the relief of suffering, disability, distress or misfortune of volunteers resulting from their emergency service activities within the communities of SA.
One person who knows all too well the importance of the foundation is Kellie Harrison.
Mrs Harrison’s husband Lt Andrew Harrison died fighting a fire at Mount Templeton in late 2014.
She said the support offered by the foundation in the wake of her husband’s passing was invaluable.
Mrs Harrison and Knight’s Roses David Knight recently launched the FireStar rose.
With each rose sale the CFS Foundation will directly receive a $5 donation.
Mrs Harrison said it was a great initiative.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to support the CFS Foundation and to acknowledge the many thousands of volunteers who give up their time and expertise to keep families and communities safe,” she said.
The name FireStar has special significance. It is a symbol used in some form by most volunteer brigades in Australia. The points on the symbol are said to represent the knightly virtues of tact, loyalty, dexterity, observation, sympathy, gallantry, all the virtues needed to be a firefighter.
In the 2014-15 bushfire season the funds and resources of the foundation were utilised to support a number of volunteers and their families as a result of bushfires.
This included two CFS volunteers who were killed undertaking their community emergency service.
It also included CFS volunteers and their families who lost everything during the Sampson Flat fires.
CFS Foundation chief executive officer Robert Styling said it was incredibly important to support the CFS.
“The CFS has 14,000 volunteers, who attend more than 9000 call-outs a year,” he said.
“While the CFS is often just seen as the bushfire brigade, it only accounts for about a third of the calls.
“The CFS attends a range of incidents from vehicle accidents to hazardous material incidents.”
While deaths from being caught in a bushfire receive the most publicity, heart attacks are one of the most common issues on the fireground.
“Financial support from the foundation means one less thing for families to worry about after a tragic event,” Mr Styling said.
“One of these incidents included three volunteers who were fighting the Sampson Flat fires, only to come home and find their own homes gone.
“That’s why it’s important for us to continue to raise money, to support our firefighters.”
