D14 welcomes new recruits

• Tom Balfour-Glassey (Lara) – Craigieburn
• Andrew Barry (Torquay) – Hoppers Crossing
• Paul Beck (North Warrandyte) – Craigieburn
• Brett Gladki (Waurn Ponds) – Hoppers Crossing
• Anthony Ivelja (North Geelong) – Caroline Springs
• David Lennox (Menzies Creek) – Greenvale
• Adam Leslie (Point Cook) – Greenvale
• Tim O’Loughlin (Ocean Grove) – Caroline Springs

Greenvale’s newest recruits, David and Adam, started work on Monday, while the six other Level 1 firefighters begin at their stations today.

The North West Metro Region firefighters form part of a group of 25 new recruits, who graduated from a 16-week training course at CFA’s Fiskville Training College on Friday 10 June.

District 14 Operations Officer John Anderson said the addition of eight new firefighters was exciting for the district.

“We’re a fast developing district so it is an exciting and a challenging time for us,” he said.

“Our new recruits will also face a challenge in settling into station life, however, I’m sure they will all adjust very quickly with the help and support of all of us at CFA.”

OO Anderson said during the coming weeks, the new recruits will undertake intensive driver training as well as station and appliance familiarisation.

“The main focus is for the recruits to settle into CFA life, however, we’ve already had two of the Level 1 firefighters get straight into it, responding to an incident at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Ravenhall.”

OO Anderson said it was also pleasing to see a number of CFA volunteers, pursue their goal of becoming a career firefighter.

This includes Paul Buck, a North Warrandyte Fire Brigade volunteer and 1^st DGO of the Nillumbik Group, Tom Balfour-Glassey, a volunteer with Lara Fire Brigade, Andrew Barry, an Ullina Fire Brigade member and Tim O’Loughlin, an Ocean Grove Fire Brigade volunteer.