By Kath Gannaway
COLDSTREAM CFA volunteers with more than 140 years of service between them are among members recognised in October for their service to the CFA and to the community.
Captain John Fenton, 1st Lt Graham Brown and Apparatus Officer George Taylor, each with 29 years’ service, and fire-fighter Dave Timms with 30 years’ service, were presented with National Medal First Clasps while 2nd Lt David Dent with 25 years’ service received the National Medal.
The National Medal is awarded in recognition not only of years of service but of the contribution made by CFA members beyond the call of duty. Mr Timms was also presented with his 30-year service medal and both CFA life membership and life membership of the Coldstream brigade.
Robert Bethell, a former captain at Coldstream and now a fire-fighter at Lilydale, was also presented with life membership at Coldstream.
The contribution of Coldstream’s long-serving members has included fighting on the fire-front of major blazes close to home, around the state and interstate, attending road crashes on the three Yarra Valley highways and the day-to-day slog of fund-raising, maintenance and other jobs necessary to run a community brigade.
Brigade member Penelope Timms was also presented with a service medal for her 15 years of service, along with David Pelling and Catherine Snowden, 10 years, and Connie Dent, five years.
The presentations were made by CFA board member John Peberdy and Region 13 Operations Officer Gavin Wright.
Mr Wright paid tribute to the long-serving members who he said didn’t join looking for medals or accolades.
“They are very modest men who didn’t join the CFA for accolades but it is important that we do recognise them for the effort they have put in over a long period of time and the sacrifices they and their families have made through their involvement in the CFA,” he said.
