Kalamunda
VFRS Station 118
ABOUT
US
Kalamunda Volunteer Fire
& Rescue Service
Kalamunda Fire & Rescue
Service is an entirely volunteer station, with up to 40 members, and is part of
the Fire & Rescue Service of Western Australia under the Department of Fire
& Emergency Services (DFES).
As part of this
service, we protect areas of Kalamunda, Lesmurdie, Gooseberry Hill, Walliston,
and sometimes assist in surrounding areas.
We can be responded to
anything from a smell of smoke in a house, to scrub and bush fires, traffic
accidents, hazardous materials incidents, and on the rare occasion, an
exploding fireworks factory.
We have also
attended large fires as far as Albany, Serpentine, Neerabup, Dwellingup,
Whiteman Park, Parkervile/Stoneville and Northcliffe. This usually involves
only our Light Tanker, or a second light tanker which has been assigned over
the summer months, but we have had full turnout under emergency conditions to
Neerabup in 2001 and Parkerville/Stoneville in 2014, as well as other out of
area responses.
More recently in 2015
Kalamunda sent crews to attend major bush fire incidents at Northcliffe,
Baldivis, Lower Hotham and Bullsbrook.
In 2016 crews attended
the devastating Waroona / Yarloop bush fires.
In 2013 we also
attended a hazardous chemical spill at Mundaring water treatment plant.
Over the years we have
also sent members to the eastern states. More recently we have sent
members to be a part of strike teams in Queensland and NSW during some of teh
worst ever bush fires seen in Australia
Our station is located
in Central Rd, Kalamunda. This is in the hills, about 25 minutes drive east of
Perth. Our response area is surrounded by National Parks and other bush and
scrubland, providing a high risk in the bushfire period, and a large number of
incidents involving these areas of native vegetation.
Kalamunda VFRS has
teams who have competed in Road Accident Rescue Competitions, Service and other
competitions, always giving their best not only on the fireground, but off it
as well. Kalamunda Road Accident Rescue Team has competed in National and
local/State competitions including the Western Rescue Competition involving
teams from throughout the Australasia region, with some good results.
These competitions
provide an exciting challenge for the firefighters involved, as well as the
opportunity to discuss and learn about new skills, equipment and techniques,
which have been brought back to the community and assisted in many incidents
the brigade attends. For several years, Kalamunda VFRS has participated in a
new service competition being introduced to the more traditionally oriented
Easter Championships.
The service
competition involves performing tasks that are currently being used in service,
racing against other teams and the clock. The competition has been changed
several times, trying to determine the format of the event for the future.
Kalamunda has an extremely good record in this competition and looks forward to
seeing the event grow. Members also attended the National Firefighting
Championships held in Queensland in 2005. This was the first time that the
National Event had included teams from Western Australia, and while the team
did not bring home any prizes, the team performed well, and showed some
promising skill against formidable competition. The next Championships were
held in Lakes Entrance in Victoria in 2007 and team from KVFRS brought home a
prestigious gold medal in the Pump Suction Event.
As
volunteer firefighters, we do... what we can, when we can, where we can, if we
can and to the very best of our ability.