ON Tuesday evening 60 volunteers attended a training night at Tahara to prepare for the upcoming summer fire season with the help of Country Fire Authority (CFA) commanders and support staff.

The volunteers from the district converged to go through their burnover drills and dangerous trees training to help them keep safe whilst out on the fire ground.

The focus was to ensure all members stay safe and return home while protecting the community they live in.

Merino CFA group officer, Wayne Munro, said it was great to see so many attend the evening and be involved – the training night began last year with Tahara captain, James Humphries, who suggested they open it up to the community.

“The CFA realises how much time volunteers give helping the community so to have a barbeque with the training to say thank you and to get a pre-summer briefing from ACFO (assistant chief fire officer) John Jugum on the forecasts, support and resources available when needed,” he said.

“The community can help us out by starting to clean up around their properties and having a fire plan ready for emergencies and being ready to enact it.”