Another lesson learnt - Things never quite turn out how you expect them to.
Amongst this celebration let's pause to think of those in the CFA family for whom Christmas may not be so easy. There will be those who will be without loved ones, and those who are still in recovery from the 2009 Black Saturday Fires. In the last week I have met with CFA members at Kinglake West, Kinglake and Mudgegonga - all areas that burned ferociously on Black Saturday. Many are still in temporary accommodation, repairing farm buildings and replacing fences. More still are coping with losses of loved ones in their communities. I pause at this time to acknowledge the real courage and determination of these wonderful people whose community leadership and positive outlook on life makes me feel very humble.
A big thankyou in advance to all of you who will participate in Fire Action Week this October.
At the time of writing, CFA is working hard with our partner fire agencies, government departments and the wider community to encourage all Victorians to prepare for the upcoming fire season.