WITH NEW uniforms and badges on appliances, Ballarat City fire station looks a little different than it did earlier in the week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After years of political debates, career firefighters at Ballarat City and Lucas transferred to new entity Fire Rescue Victoria on July 1, in a split from the Country Fire Authority.
On Thursday, FRV Commissioner Ken Block and CFA Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook visited Ballarat.
On his second trip to Ballarat, Commissioner Block said the establishment of the new fire service was a "defining moment in the state's history".
"While today you won't see the horse drawn fire engines of the Gold Rush era and years gone by, you will see Ballarat City firefighters continuing to serve their community with dedication, as they have done with pride over the last 160 years."
Related coverage: CFA split won't impact residents, says fire chief
Related coverage: Ballarat City Fire Brigade elects first CFA captain in 70 years
He said the community, including Ballarat, had adapted to the changing climate and other factors including population growth, urbanisation, building codes and regulations over the years, while fire rescue services had also changed to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
"I'm confident FRV will rise to meet these challenges and will ensure the safety of our community, and of our firefighters, into the future," he said.
Commissioner Block said despite career staff transferring to a new service, they would continue to work alongside volunteers to respond to emergency situations.
"Volunteer firefighters will continue to play a central role and FRV will continue to work closely with CFA to keep communities safe across Victoria."
Earlier this week The Courier reported on the concerns of CFA volunteers, who had taken issue with the lack of consultation and of "broken promises".
Acting Chief Officer Cook said he had been working with the union, Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria and would continue to do so.
He said the issues would be worked through with FRV, to ensure all arrangements were in place for an effective transition.
"We've got some issues that we need to work through and change is change but we will make sure that we work with our people to get the best result," he said.
He said while it was the second day for FRV, for the CFA it was business as usual and trucks were still rolling out of the station when a community member dials 000.