In over 50 years as a CFA volunteer, Mr Trounson has been to more than 5000 fires, and he’s not slowing down yet.

“I worked out in July it was 5050 fires in 50 years, and I’ve been to a few since then, I reckon I’m at 5100 now,” he said.

“I started back 50 years ago in a little town called Elmshurst. Where we lived they used to do the rural training and I just went down there one day and that’s where it all started.”

For just on 30 years, Mr Trounson has been one of the first on the scene for any fire in the Wendouree region. 

Living near the station, he is generally called on to drive the fire truck. 

“We don’t go until we have a full team of five and usually I’m in the first five to arrive,” he said.

After 50 years fighting fires, Mr Trounson says its his love of the bush that keeps him going. 

“I’m born and bred in the country and I just like to be out there in the country helping people and just doing whatever you can,” he said,

“Once you go to the first fire, I guess you just get smoke in your veins and then when you’re truck driving, you get the diesel in your veins, perhaps they cancel each other out.

“The amount of people when you go out on a strike team to another region you never forget. 

“I remember the days when you would go out and the local women were allowed to make you sandwiches, you’d always grab something to eat, and they never killed us, no matter how soggy they were.

“Nowadays you can’t do that, you’ve got to wait for Red Cross or the Salvos to come in and cook the meals, the changes are incredible.

A welder-engineer by trade, Mr Trounson also drove patrol tankers for a living, something he says was invaluable on a fire truck.

“It was a good opportunity to meet up with local people, with farmers and fellow CFA volunteers,” he said. 

“That knowledge really helps when you’re out on a strike team, knowing where the back roads are. 

“Sometimes they’ll say, you’ve got to go down near Joe Blow’s place and you’ll know exactly where it is. I know all the backtracks. You get looks in the truck, `how did you know that?”

Over the years, Mr Trounson has also given back to the community, and even this week he’s on the job walking the streets of Wendouree selling the yearly calendar. 

“I’ve been doing the calendars for 20 or so years now. We just make one up, we’ve got the schools to do it a couple of times,” he said. 

“You just go door knock the whole of Wendouree, then you go to the factories and then if there’s any left we’ll go down to Wendouree Village.

“We’ve got about 7000 we hand out and we’ll definitely sell out this year. All the money we make goes back into the local CFA.”

He has also helped raise more than $3 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital appeal 

”It keeps me going,” he said. “I love to do anything for the kids and get the Santa suit on.

“I’ve already had it on this year, we’ve got St John of God Hospital again this week. 

“I love doing that one and I love doing the Very Special Kids as well. If you can get a smile, you’ve done your job.”

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