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From L-R: Boort Fire Brigade volunteers Kelvin Mayberry, Russel Talbot and Tim Lanyon
A trio of Boort locals are continuing a tradition of Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) employees volunteering at the local fire brigade.
GMW Customer Service Team Lead Kelvin Mayberry, Field Services Coordinator Russel Talbot, and Automation Technician Tim Lanyon have been volunteering at the Boort Fire Brigade for a combined total of more than 50 years.
Kelvin is Captain of the brigade and has been with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) the longest of the three.
He joined 20 years ago, around the same time that he started with GMW.
"I grew up in the local community but moved away to Melbourne for work," he said.
"When I returned, I was really keen to give back, and this is a great way to contribute."
Russel and Tim have been at the brigade for 18 years and 15 years respectively.
Both were encouraged to join by former volunteers who were also working for GMW at the time.
The contribution of GMW staff to the brigade has been aided by the water corporation providing specific leave for people volunteering in emergency services.
"It's enormously helpful," said Russel.
"I was part of strike forces for the Black Saturday fires and the fires up in New South Wales in 2019-20.
"I was away at these events for about five days each time, but my managers have never had an issue with me going which I'm very grateful for."
Kelvin and Tim have likewise been part of multiple strike forces and similarly agreed the leave available to them had helped them take these opportunities.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said CFA appreciates the commitment from many employers across the state who allow volunteers to leave work to help protect the Victorian community.
"I applaud Goulburn-Murray Water for their strategic foresight in the management of their people to encourage volunteerism that ultimately improves better community outcomes," he said.
Tim said he was valued the opportunity to serve his community.
"It's really rewarding being part of the brigade," he said.
"I was born and bred in Boort, so supporting the community is really important for me and it's great my workplace helps me with that."
The brigade is crucial to its community and Russel said it isn't just fires they get called to – it could be anything.
"There aren't any other emergency services based near us, so we get called to a range of different things such as car accidents, floods, and chemical spills," he said.
"We're often the first port of call for emergencies in our area, so it's good to be able to help out."
** Goulburn-Murray Water media release **
