Yellingbo CFA and Seville CFA held a joint training session on Wednesday 19 November, highlighting an unexpected, yet incredibly crucial, aspect of firefighting – rehabilitation.
When the public thinks of fighting fires, it’s safe to assume that most picture people in baggy yellow overalls with pointed hard hats on their heads fighting ferocious fires.
But fighting fires is an incredibly demanding task as the body engages in intense physical activity while under heavy heat stress.
Yellingbo CFA’s specialised rehabilitation unit plays an important role in the network of Yarra Valley CFA brigades, and it’s through training sessions like these where it can share its valuable knowledge.
Yellingbo CFA captain Jeremy Hardy said the training was a valuable opportunity for other CFA members who haven’t experienced rehab before.
“It was good for some of the Seville fire brigade members that perhaps haven’t experienced that, for them to come through the rehab afterwards as well.”
The two brigades practiced using breathing apparatus (BA) before using Yellingbo CFA’s rehab unit – a vehicle or equipment that helps firefighters recover from fighting fires.
Specialised camping chairs are fitted with water-filled arm rests that firefighters put their arms in to help them cool down.
Mr Hardy described the chairs to work like a “car radiator” by cooling the internal blood flow of the firefighters, bringing down body temperature.
“They normally would sit there for 20 minutes. Beforehand and afterwards, we take some medical stats, which includes their heart rate, their oxygen saturation, we take all that.
The rehab unit will also typically measure carbon monoxide levels and heart rates too, ensuring firefighters recover properly.
While cooling down firefighters are also given lollies for a quick boost to blood-sugar levels and a packet of chips to help increase sodium levels.
Seville CFA thanked Yellingbo CFA in a Facebook post after the training.
“These collaborations are great opportunities for our members to get to know the people, appliances and turn out areas of our neighbouring brigades before we hit the fire ground together. A lot of effort goes in to running these nights and our members got a lot out of it,” the post read.
In November 2023, Yellingbo CFA received a $163,000 Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP) grant to fit out a new rehab vehicle.
