The Serpentine community is better prepared for emergencies with the official handover of their new fire station.
CFA Board member Peter Shaw and Deputy Chief Officer North West Region Trevor Weston joined brigade members to celebrate the special occasion.
Situated on Treloar Street, Serpentine, the new station replaces the brigade's former Chapel Street facility and provides modern facilities designed to meet contemporary operational, safety and training requirements.
Serpentine Fire Brigade Captain Neville Cockerell said the station will support volunteers to protect lives, property and local agricultural assets for decades to come.
"We are a busy brigade that is always ready to respond when our community needs us," Neville said.
"Whether that is on a farm or at a road accident, we will be there. This new station will allow us to grow into the future and keep providing that support to the community.
"Everyone is very excited to have the station officially handed over to us."
The new facility includes a two-engine bay, a brigade office, a multipurpose training room with integrated kitchen, workshop and storage facilities, separate male and female turnout areas and fully accessible toilets.
The station will improve response efficiency and provide a safe, central base for volunteers operating in a predominantly rural area exposed to bushfire, grassfire and flood risks.
Deputy Chief Officer North West Region, Trevor Weston, said he was pleased to see the brigade in their new station.
"A lot of people have worked very hard to make this new station happen so I am glad to see the brigade now settled in and maximising the facility's potential," Trevor said.
"Our brigades serve their communities selflessly and it is a great feeling to be able to provide them with the facilities they need to continue doing that."
Serpentine Fire Brigade, established more than eight decades ago, currently comprises 49 volunteers and responds to an average of 50 incidents each year.
The brigade serves communities across the Loddon Shire and has a proud history of supporting major emergency events including Ash Wednesday, Black Saturday, significant floods and local emergency responses.
