By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Three CFA fireys from Dandenong and Hallam have been deployed to tackle devastating fires in the USA and Greece.
Steve Keating, Adrian Devenish and Daryl Owen are among a contingent of 16 CFA, Parks Victoria and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning officers who flew out from Melbourne on 2 August.
Mr Keating, a Senior Station Officer at Hallam CFA, will be deployed as a divisional commander at USA’s besieged west coast fires in Oregan, Washington State and California.
He performed the same role tackling fires, removing hazard trees and repairing fire grounds in the Napa Valley in the US last October.
“I feel apprehensive about this deployment, as I did last year.
“Not about where we are going, or what we will be doing. It is more about how I am able to assist people in the towns we visit to overcome their current situations, and return them to a normal or as normal as possible life.”
In answering the call, the 29-year CFA veteran leaves behind a supportive wife and two teenage boys.
“I’m missing a Deb Ball this weekend and my very kind neighbour is looking over our newly arrived lambs.”
Mr Devenish, who is Senior Station Officer at Dandenong CFA, also felt a little anxious ahead of his first international deployment to the US.
He has been a career firefighter since 2001, including 15 years at Dandenong and deployments across the state.
“I leave behind my family … a supportive wife and three children that I will miss for the anticipated 42 days.
“But I am looking forward to the opportunity and challenge.”
Mr Owen, a Senior Station Officer at Dandenong, is helping with damage assessments in the wake of the Greek fires. It is also his first international mission, away from his wife and daughter.
He said he’d use the experience to help with Urban Search and Rescue responses to bushfires at home.
“These deployments are great opportunity to gain an understanding of other agencies and countries and their disaster response, which we can then use to further develop our own response.”
CFA Chief Officer Steve Warrington said the deployments continued a proud and important CFA tradition.
“CFA crews have extensive experience with large wildfires, having handled fires on similar terrain across Australia.
“Our firefighters are ideally placed to provide additional surge capacity to our American counterparts during this trying time.”
