After moving home to her local town of Meerlieu, just two kilometres from the fire shed, Zoe Blandford jumped at the opportunity to volunteer for CFA to reconnect and lend a hand.
Zoe's skillset stemmed as a valuable asset to CFA and has been extremely transferrable across a number of functions.
Now working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in the rostering team, Zoe has switched from dispatching trucks to ambulances, but her expertise continues to strengthen in both fields.
"Coming from an industry that was traditionally male dominated and being exposed to so many different safety protocols and processes has really helped me transition to becoming a CFA volunteer," Zoe said.
"Holding my heavy rigid truck license has been useful for the brigade, given I used to drive mine dump trucks. We are always in need of more truck drivers, so I'm glad I'm able to assist there."
A passion for CFA has been passed down through the family tree, with her brother now Captain following in their uncles' footsteps, and Zoe taking the reins of 3rd Lieutenant from their father.
A fond memory at CFA for Zoe has been participating in the South East Women's Challenge Camp with her twin sister, a fellow firefighter nearby at Lindenow. Both praised the success and empowerment of the camp.
"It was really rewarding being in a space for just women, where everyone felt comfortable, supported and encouraged by other like-minded people. We really enjoyed it," Zoe said.
"Finding time initially to commit to the General Firefighter Course can be hard as we all live busy lives and have family commitments, but once you work through it at your own pace it is great, and it is nice to have opportunities such as the camp to look forward to.
"We don't do regular training at Meerlieu so I have been joining Stratford and Lindenow as often as I can. They have both been amazing and very welcoming of us joining them.
"It helps to keep your skills fresh and to build on your knowledge, all while getting to know people in the neighbouring brigades that you end up seeing on the fireground."
Meerlieu Fire Brigade has had a number of new members join the ranks in the last twelve months, following a simple message sent from Zoe and her brother reaching out to local members who had not considered volunteering before.
"While some have come from family farms, one new member just happened to be helping his neighbour with a fire while we were there responding. Once we were finished cleaning up, we asked him if he would be keen to join and be a part of the action, and he said yes!
"It was a natural fit for him given his proactive approach and he got to see the work we do first-hand. He is now one of our most active members."
Zoe reflects positively on the experience she gained on her first major strike team deployment at the Munro fires and was impressed by the way everyone worked together.
"Being a part of any callout or strike team just encourages me to continue to learn and try and be the best I can be so that when I am out on the fireground I can trust myself to make the right decisions and that everyone around me is safe and we achieve our goals," Zoe said.
Meerlieu Fire Brigade is actively seeking volunteers who are available to respond to incidents during the day, if you're interested in joining CFA or learning more about volunteering, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/volunteer.
