A fire tower and siren will be installed in one of the most bushfire-prone areas of the Adelaide Hills.
Work began today on the building at the Brukunga Country Fire Service station.
Brukunga, where the CFS also has its Adelaide Hills operational centre, was at the heart of the deadly Cudlee Creek fires which swept much of the northern Adelaide Hills last summer.
Since then, the Brukunga CFS Brigade and other local volunteers, many of them recovering from their own fire impacts last summer, have worked to raise the substantial funds needed to buy a replacement new siren tower for the township's CFS station, as well as fund a new siren and have it installed in time for the pending bushfire season.
The existing siren had become non-operational, and an inspection of the existing tower structure, had found it to be structurally inadequate.
The fundraising, which included a $13,000 donation from a local community member, has been assisted by a number of civil construction businesses agreeing to do the installation of the tower for free.
Davison Earthmovers is providing project management, excavation for footing and labour; Load 28 providing the crane to lift the new pole into place; further equipment from Coates Hire - Boom Lift; and with a local quarry firm providing the concrete for the footings - all of the above work and materials donated free of charge.
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Civil Contractors Federation (SA) associate director - industry and government relations, Melissa Ekberg said the industry recognised the urgency of the need to move forward quickly in providing such a valuable asset for Hills communities but without imposing further financial burdens on fire victims.
"It is a tribute to our involved members that the paramount safety of this high risk fire area will be enhanced by this new and critical fire-fighting infrastructure," Ms Ekberg said.
"We publicly thank our members who responded, but in doing so, pay tribute to the enormous fund raising efforts that had to be undertaken in challenging circumstances this year, by the Brukunga community."
Installation of the tower is expected to be completed by Friday.
Brukunga CFS members will then be able to organise installation of the new siren.
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