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We saw our firefighters of tomorrow kick off 2025 CFA/VFBV State Firefighter Championships last weekend, but there is more to come with our Senior Urban and Senior and Junior Rural teams gearing up for the final weekend.
The friendly competition will continue as a new batch of participants, supporters and families are set to return to Mooroopna Recreation Reserve across the weekend, 29 and 30 March, to close out the competition.
The first weekend of the Championships was a success, with Melton A bringing home the title of Urban Junior Champions after a very close battle.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan was pleased to see the excitement of the eager youngsters over the weekend and looks forward to seeing the competition continue to reach new heights.
"The Championships are an important and much-loved event on the CFA calendar and go a long way to build and grow the future of the organisation and our next generation of firefighters," he said.
"For our seniors the competition is an opportunity to strengthen and showcase their firefighting skills as well as meet up with old friends and make new ones.
This weekend will see more teams compete, among them will be teams from Osbourne Park who are a group of teams from a range of brigades in the broader area.
The unique team set up is a way for those at brigades who don't have a team to take part in.
Col Jordan helped establish the Osborne Park group eight years ago to keep the sport alive and give people a chance to take part.
Col has been passionate about the sport since he was a teenager.
"As a 17-year-old I got invited down to a training session and I guess I took to it like a duck to water," he said.
"I really enjoy it is a team sport; I have played a lot of different sports in my life, and I find this the most rewarding.
"It is a great sport and has a long history."
The Osborne Park teams sure stand out on the track in their fluro work wear uniforms.
"When we started, I wanted a uniform that was easy to get and also affordable for people, so we settled on the fluro workwear," Col said.
This year for the first time Osborne Park has a women's team competing who will be proudly wearing fluro pink.
"Everyone is welcome," Col said.
"We have members from all over the district, we have members ranging from 16 to 64.
"You build up a team, and together you do your best."
He said the support the teams get from parents, grandparents, and other community supporters is what keeps the teams running; whether it is in judging, committee representation, or helping out at competitions it really takes a lot of people to keep the sport going.
Col said it would be a bonus to take home a trophy or two from seniors' weekend but that the real aim was working together and having a great time as a team.
"This is as a way of getting people, both juniors and seniors, involved and giving them the opportunity to be really involved with the brigades," he said.
"It provides a form of team building and camaraderie."
The Torchlight Procession will take place following the competition on Saturday 29 March from 8pm on the Midland Highway in Mooroopna near Mooroopna Recreation Reserve.
