The Tabulam Rural Fire Service were recently presented with a cheque for $400 from Summerland Credit Union as part of the organisation’s Random Acts of Kindness initiative, following last month’s fires in the village of Tabulam.
Scott Carmichael, the Captain for the Fire Service was overwhelmed with the donation. “It has made a huge difference,” he said.
When asked what the funds would go towards, Mr Carmichael didn’t hesitate. “The money will go towards purchasing a new fridge.
“At the time of the fire we were serving up to 200 meals a day, and the old fridge took a bit of a battering, so the purchase of a new fridge is long overdue,” he said.
The Tabulam Fire Service relies solely on volunteers, so the number of meals that had to be produced a day for other services from outside the region put a real strain on resources as Margaret Gillespie, the Secretary for the Fire Service explained.
“It was chaotic,” she laughed. “Our little fridge couldn’t cope with the amount of work it was having to do. The Rural Fire Service Casino catering crew came and helped us out, as it was beyond what we could manage.”
If you are interested in being a part of the Tabulam Fire Service, Mr Carmichael said they are always looking for new recruits. “As we’re a volunteer organisation, we have all sorts of positions available for people of all ages, regardless of whether you’d like to help in the kitchen, back office or even as part of the brigade,” he said.
On 12 February, the fires in Tabulam burned through over 4,000 hectares, destroying 20 homes and severely damaging many others. The fires were finally declared as being out on 4 March.
