Having recently been involved in a substantial fire locally, Mongarlowe RFS members knew what tools were available and would be most useful in the event of bushfires.

Unfortunately, these are not standard issue they are not within the normal budget of most brigades.

Mongarlowe fire volunteers discussed the possibility of the bank assisting with the purchase of a thermal imaging camera.

This equipment is extremely useful on a fireline for finding hidden hotspots more effectively.

Hotspots may still be smouldering after the mop-up process, can can spark re-ignition.

As it is not always possible to get to every hotspot visually, the thermal imaging camera enables volunteers to eliminate the chance of re-ignition of a blaze.

At Nick Fry’s suggestion, the Mongarlowe RFS brigade successfully applied for a grant through the Braidwood Community Bank.

The brigade’s volunteers have acknowledged with thanks the support of the bank.

Volunteer firefighter William Verdon said that the brigade hoped this could be the start of a great relationship between local RFS and the Braidwood Community Bank. “Our local brigades fundraise every year to be able to keep a stock of things that are not supplied through the RFS,” he said. 

Donations to the Rural Fire Service are tax deductible.

The Mongarlowe RFS Brigade is part of the Lake George Zone, which has a Facebook page for event and emergency information.