KOOTINGAL Rural Fire Service brigade might be small, but that didn't stop it from taking the top spot at the Firefighter Zone Championships. A tight-knit crew, Kootingal RFS even lends its members to teams who might be a firefighter down.
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"When we first started coming through the ranks people were surprised at how well we do," the station's senior deputy captain Allen Madden said.
"We don't use their [Fire and Rescue NSW] rescue gear or breathing apparatus, so when we turn up the newer blokes are surprised that we do so well in the pre-operation checks.
"Are they surprised now? No, they expect us to be in the top three or four."
About 16 teams competed in the championships at Norah Head on the weekend.
Kootingal RFS' biggest competition were the Nowra and Wyong brigades.
For a long while, Kootingal was the only local RFS brigade that took part in the competition, now its been joined by a Tamworth Fire and Rescue squad.
"We're only a small brigade just outside of Tamworth," Mr Madden said.
"We generally train for the hose and hydrant events, if we can get enough of the boys together we'll have a training session once a week."
The last event was the decider for which brigade would take out the top spot on the weekend in the urban pump and suction category.
Now, the brigade has been invited to the Australasian Championships in Tamworth later this year where they will compete against teams from as far away as New Zealand and Fiji.
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When the team travels they prefer a swag and fire station stay to a hotel room, Mr Madden said.
"It's good because it takes you travelling and if we aren't staying with family we'll go into a fire station and use that to keep the costs down," he said.
"We were pretty happy with how we performed on the weekend, we had a few minor hitches but the main thing is we came away consistently.
"Our aim was to not get penalties and we were pretty happy with the results and how we went."
Kootingal RFS finished with an overall score of 1267 with Nowra RFS in second place with a score of 1030.
The championships were held in Norah Head with the next regional competition to be held in Berry.
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
