Brigade brings home the bling from state championships

THE seasoned senior team, (back) Madeline Patton, Hugh Crauford, Erin Munro, Kelvin Bateman, Kelly Ferguson, Jason Ferguson, Damien Henty-Anderson, Cherie Crauford, Ben Pevitt, Glenn Kerr, (front) Jack Rigby and Allan Bateman.

By Kristy McDonald

April 24, 2022 | 7:49 AM

FIRST-time competitor, Madeline Patton, joins a prestigious list of medallists from the Dunrobin/Nangeela Fire Bridade at this year’s CFA/VFBV State Rural Championships.

The brigade was a little understaffed this year, entering three senior teams and one junior, heading off to the championships at Mooroopna in the state’s central north on 26 and 27 March.

Lining up against the best from across the state and coached by Ben Pevitt, the junior team took to the track on Sunday, finishing second in the pumping and priming and third in the wet hydrant and tanker events.

At her first competition, Madeline took gold in her first competition, in the junior girls’ 50-metre fire fighter sprint, while in the seniors, Erin Munro, represented the brigade in the senior women’s 50-metre firefighter sprint, bringing home silver.

DUNROBIN/Nangeela’s successful junior team to the CFA/VFBV State Rural Championships, Madeline Patton, Chelsea Hulm, Tamsyn Black, Amy Crauford, Rankin Cleary, Abby Black, with coach, Ben Pevitt, at the front.

The senior team in Division Two took on 16 other teams from across the state and took silver place on the podium in the pumping, priming and ladder and bronze in the wet hose and ladder.

Division One placed fourth both in the tanker hose reel and ladder competition fourth in the wet hydrant and tanker event.

Brigade captain, Kelvin Bateman said while preparation in the lead up to the competition had been difficult, the members’ dedication was unquestionable.

“We start training about five weeks out from the championships, head out to training at five o’clock on a Sunday afternoon,” he said.

“This year, we only had five seniors when we arrived, Erin Munro travelled down from Wagga Wagga, my son, Allan, flew from Adelaide to Melbourne and then got the train to Mooroopna.

“The kids are really dedicated, they all started doing this together and this is like their once-a-year catch-up and they really enjoy it.”

VFBV State Championships are one of CFA's proudest and longest traditions, held annually for almost 150 years, with the only cancellations due to WWI, WWII and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

South-West brigades, including Casterton, have previously competed in championships, but like every club and workforce across the state, a shortage of members now sees Dunrobin/Nangeela as the only local brigade, competing.