A NEW building, ahead of a new year and the first of many firsts for the new Rosewood Fire and Rescue Station – a promotion of one of the Auxiliary firefighters.
Rosewood resident Vince O'Shea was promoted to Lieutenant after performing in an auxiliary role.
Vince joined the Auxiliary firefighters in 2017 and has been a member of the Marburg Rural Fire Brigade for 16 years.
He says he is proud to do the job he does as he enjoys helping the community in their time of need
“I really enjoy giving back to the local community though this role especially because the Rosewood community is one that I have been involved in for my entire life,” he said.
“To this day, Rosewood still has that small country town feel and we are lucky enough to be well respected members of this area.
“Our job really is made easier by the support and keen interest of the community in our fire prevention and education programs, we really do live in a pretty unique place.”
As a Lieutenant, Vince will be responsible for responding to and assuming control of fire and other emergency incidents, where required.
“I will have a more active role in educating the community with fire safety including programs run here at the local schools,” he said.
“This new position also allows me to support our Captain, Trevor Meier, and to contribute to the planning and delivery of core skills training, while expanding the knowledge in operational and general station duties of my crew.
“Alongside the Captain and other Lieutenants, I will also be responsible for ensuring maintenance and repair of operational equipment and the completion of incident reporting and general station administration.”
He described his promotion as a ‘dream come true’.
“The fantastic crew I work with and the passion these guys have for the job really makes this more than a job, it really is our own fire community,” he said.
“Outside of this position, I enjoy spending time on a property that my family and I own at Rosevale where we grow hay and other crops and between this, my normal job and the auxiliary fire station it tends to keep me busy.”