Providing emergency services and community education on fires, vehicle accidents, Large Animal Rescue, and other events, for the community of Macclesfield, Victoria. When Avonsleigh Fire Brigade folded in 1951 most of the members transferred and formed Macclesfield Fire Brigade. The new location was diagonally opposite the current site. The shed was built by 4 of the brigade members out of second
hand materials and housed 2 pumps, some knapsacks and a few 44 gallon drums full of water that could be lowered on to a ute if needed. Eventually a new tin shed was built on the current site. This shed was big enough to hold one tanker. There was still no reticulated water in Macclesfield and the truck had to travel to Emerald for water. As the risks in the area increased with smaller properties, a larger population, bigger school, farming businesses and an increase in bushland more trucks were needed. The brigade members eventually built the brick building that took them through until the end of 2009. This building was literally built over the existing shed and a power pole. When the outside was completed the shed that was now on the inside was demolished along with the power pole. The hole in the roof from the pole was then patched up and could still be seen in the old station roof. This building was extended over time and only recently had toilets installed. Now with trucks getting bigger and paddocks getting smaller there had been a need for a larger station to house bigger trucks and an Ultra Light Tanker to access small paddocks and narrow driveways. The trucks parked in the old station only had a few centimetres of room to the rear and the sides. There were many near misses trying to squeeze the trucks in until one day someone didn’t miss and took out a load bearing pole supporting the roof. This highlighted the urgency in replacing the station for something that could house more vehicles, bigger vehicles and alleviate some of the OHS issues inherent in the old brick building. The new building is a modern design with excellent facilities and has a large engine bay, meeting room, separate kitchen, office, storage room as well as an area for BA, apparatus and comms equipment. Fire Stations
The current Station is located on Macclesfield Road, Macclesfield and was Opened in Mid 2010. The current site is built over the former station (albeit facing a new direction), and houses the three appliances, a BA cleaning room, large meeting room and kitchen, as well as a Communications/Incident management office. Ideally situated in the central most part of the turn out area, the Macclesfield Station was a welcome relief to the tight spaces and OH&S issues that were present in the previous station. Appliances
Macclesfield currently own 3 vehicles. A CFA provided 3.4D Tanker, with a 3000 liter water capacity. This vehicle is also fitted with the standard CFA equipment found on most Tankers, with the addition of an extra set of BA and Cylinders. This is designed to act as a relief for the area in a large incident whilst a nearby BA Van can arrive on scene. In addition to this is a privately funded Tanker 2. This vehicle has a 1000 liter tank and carries a range of equipment. A sort of Tanker-Salvage Hybrid, this carries a PPV fan, lighting, spare hoses, chainsaw's as well as various pieces of specialized equipment. The Brigade is currently looking into replacements for this vehicle. Recently the Macclesfield Brigade funded a new Ultra Light Tanker. Based on a Nissan Patrol Cab Chassis, the custom made rear section has storage lockers, water tank and decent pump. The small stature allows access to remote area's and through tight area's, of which in the area there are plenty.
