Fire Brigade

Harvey Fire Brigade Demonstration Day

A great Australian past-time, fire brigade.  Children and young adults are taught by volunteer fire departments hose work, attaching and detaching nozzles (breaking hoses), wet and dry work, good sportsmanship and team work.  It is an awesome sport teaching life long skills of working together and being physically and mentally tough.  The practical skills learned, of  how to use fire hoses could be useful one day to possibly put out a bush fire.  Caleb, along with two other classmates have been practicing 1-2 times a week for the past month.  This past weekend was his first competition, where the Harvey Fire Brigade took on Brunswick, Mandurah, Busselton, and Bunbury for the regional finals.  Winners get to move on to the State Competition in Fremantle.

Learning how to attach the nozzle is tough work for a little 6 year old's hands.

Good thing an adult held the hose - we could only imagine his little body flying around like a cartoon character if only he held onto the hose.

Even Jackson was allowed to practice sometimes breaking hoses during dry training.  After several dry practices, the pee-wee team were allowed to practice the wet hose work.  They learned how to attach and start the pump, plus how to aim the nozzle and shoot targets.

Demonstration Day!  The competition has a variety of team activities.  It can include different arrangements and attachments of hoses that can be done individually, in twos, or in teams of four - all against the clock.

Above, Caleb is running with one end of the hose whilst one of his teammates is attaching the other end of the hose to the pump; waiting for the signal to turn it on.  Caleb and another teammate linked the two hoses together, but not tight enough. It broke and water exploded everywhere!  Caleb took a face full of water, splashing the judges and nearby spectators as well.  Most of the pee-wees aren't happy until they are wet 'soaked to the bone' happy. 

The pee-wee team won their side of the competition as well as the Harvey Fire Station 33 won the entire team event!  Above are the team and trophy photos. 

Below are two videos from the demonstration - one DRY competition and one WET competition.