Cambridge’s chief fire officer Dennis Hunt, left, and deputy chief fire officer Glenn Philip with the new Ford F150 vehicle.
Cambridge Volunteer Fire Brigade’s new Ford F150 was welcomed and blessed at a function at the fire station on Saturday.
Around 100 people heard chief fire officer Dennis Hunt explain how the fully-equipped four-wheel-drive ute will be used for callouts to hard-to-reach places difficult for the other brigade vehicles to reach.
“By using this ute we can ensure the larger trucks are available for any other callouts that may come in around the same time,” he said. “The reality is we’re getting busier all the time. In the last year alone we responded to over 438 calls.”
That increased level of activity has affected the brigade’s ability to commit as much time to fundraising than in the past, he said, which made the community’s contribution to the purchase and fit-out of the new ute particularly important.
The new F150 was brought in from the United States in October 2021 in a process initiated by former fire chief, the late Don Gerrand. It then underwent a six-month fit-out and was ready for service in April, at a total cost of $180,000.
Saturday’s event brought together many of the sponsors and supporters who had contributed to the cost of the vehicle. The largest single donation was from Cambridge Lions, who gave $65,000 towards the new truck.
The new vehicle was blessed by Cambridge Police chaplain Ants Hawes, and Cambridge St John chaplain Michele Willis.
