They’re on fire

By Lia Bichel
BUYING something old can help local emergency services buy something new and beneficial.
The Berwick Opportunity Shop recently donated thousands of dollars to local fire brigades and ambulance services to help them purchase necessary equipment which will, in turn, benefit the community.
Berwick Op Shop President Laine Tandy said the organisation had donated a significant amount of funds over about 20 years.
“(The fire brigades and ambulance services) look after our citizens, so we want to help them,” she said.
Devon Meadows Fire Brigade First Lieutenant Frank Robins said the funds were beneficial. He said the Devon Meadows fire brigade bought a Nissan Navara with money donated in recent years, and this year, bought a collar dam and trailer.
The collar dam is specifically designed for easy use in fire-fighting applications. It gives the ability to set up a water source wherever needed.
It helps with the efficiency of the fire-fighters and increases safety on the roads.
“It gets filled with 10,000 litres of water so we don’t need as many trucks at the fire, and we don’t need trucks going up and down the road to get water – which is a lot safer,’ he said.
“It is a brilliant tool to use on the job.”
Mr Robins said the fire-fighters were thankful for the Berwick Op Shop’s support, and without it they would be “cash strapped.”
“They have been donating money for years and it’s fantastic,” he said.
“Without it, we would struggle.”
Ms Tandy said that while the amount of money donated each year depends on the amount of sales made, the Berwick Op Shop only wanted to receive useful items.
“The more support we receive, the more support they receive – but we don’t want junk,” she said.
“We get dumped with bad electricals or big pieces of furniture, and we have to pay to get rid of it. We want good clothing or household gear. We are hungry for it! We want to help the community!”