Joining one of our local Rural Fire Brigades is about community looking after community. Our Rural Fire Brigades respond to the outbreak of fires within their local area and in surrounding areas. These areas, during particularly bad fire seasons, can be interstate. The community's perimeters, in instances such as this, have only landscape limits - at the edge of the seas that surround Australia.
In recent years we have seen our Australian firefighters also travelling overseas to help those battling the destruction of large fires during their own bad years for fire seasons. The community, then, proves to be, in fact, worldwide.
When the fire season has ended these are the people giving up their weekends to do hazard reduction work. If there is a vehicle accident, a storm that brings down trees like that now called The Sydney Storm, these are the people who are called on to assist those in trouble.
Volunteers for these services are investing their time and energy to save lives and protect property, rain, hail, accident or firestorm.
Training in what may be needed is not just an investment in themselves, this too is an investment in community - as it is every time one of us decides to stretch ourselves a little further and learn something new we may help others by.
Cottage Point Rural Fire Brigade, although it may seem to be one of those tucked away RFB's, an 'out of sight, out of mind' service, has the advantage of being in one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in the world. If you love the bush, and being somewhere where you can really breathe, this would be the one that you may most like.
This week, a small insight courtesy of Jon Russell, Captain at the Cottage Point Brigade of the Warringah / Pittwater District NSW
Rural Fire Service. How many members do you have?
We have 18 Active Members and four Life Members – Mr. Phil Lynch (dec.), Mr. Graeme McCall (dec.), Mr. Ken M’Naught and Mr. Murray Campbell.
When was Cottage Point Rural Fire Brigade first started?
The inaugural meeting of this Brigade was on January the 5th, 1957.
The original letter reads, addressed to the Shire Clerk at Warringah Shire Council:
‘Dear Sir, we have to inform you that on January 5, 1957. a Volunteer Freighting Brigade was formed at Cottage Point, to be known as ‘Cottage Point Volunteer Bush Fire-fighting Brigade’.
The following Officers were elected
Mr. Sydney Allbright, President, Mr. J Crouch, Vice-President, Mr. D Anderson, Captain, Mr. P Windybanks Deputy Captain, Mr. W Board Deputy Captain, Mr. D Anderson Temporary Equipment Officer, Mrs. M Anderson Secretary and Treasurer.’
These were all locals who gave much and did much for our community.
The interesting thing is that the Post Office Box number for council at this time was GPO Box 3956, Sydney. For those listed, Mr. Allbright has a Sydney address, Mr. Crouch is Bourke Street in East Sydney, while Mr. Anderson is ‘Cottage Point via Brooklyn’; so the mail for everyone in those days came via the riverboat postman from Brooklyn.
How long have you been part of the Rural Fire Brigade Jon?
I first joined the “Bush Fire Brigade” on the 8th of November, 1979. I’ve been a member of the Cottage Point Rural Bush Fire Brigade since 1992 and have been Captain for almost 15 years collectively.
Of your current 18 members, how many are men and how many women?
Fifteen men and three ladies make up our general membership. We have Rebecca Tattersall as our first female brigade President and aged 22yo, we have Chrys Maoudis as our Vice President and aged 21yo whilst Marcus Collignon is our Secretary at age 22yo.
After attending University, Rebecca has recently qualified as a Solicitor, Chrys has a earned a degree in Medical Science whilst Marcus is studying Paramedics so we’re fortunate to have some very bright young members.
Rebecca’s Mum Karen, who is a General Practitioner, is also a member of the Brigade, as is her father Matt.
Anthony is our Callout Officer – he’s the one who makes the calls at all hours when a crew is needed urgently. Our two Equipment Officers are Michael and Anthony, they get on brilliantly and everything is ready to go all the time. Their job is not to repair major equipment, more so to see that general maintenance of things such as chain saws is carried out. They also check the vehicles and make sure everything is up to speed and if it’s not, they do the paperwork to ensure that it’s fixed. Our vehicles are all taken care of by our RFS District Mechanic Darryl and he does a brilliant job. Whilst located in an isolated location, we enjoy having one of the best equipped station the RFS has and our issued equipment such as our Tanker and Hilux 4X4 are both modern and contain the latest support equipment.
So that’s a few generations who are active members?
We do have some of that, yes. I remember I joined for one reason, not for medals or kudos or Life Membership due to length of Service – but because I wanted to help, I wanted to do something for my local community; I was born and raised in Narrabeen, went to North Narrabeen Public School, went on to Narrabeen High; people here want to do a bit to help their local community.
In Christmas 2001 we were called to go up to the Blue Mountains. It was bad, they had big problems up there. We took a full crew of six on the Tanker out of Cottage Point and raced up the Mountains to help. On that crew, one of our members was the Honourable John Brogden, former Member for Pittwater and I will vouch forever and a day, John worked his guts out alongside the rest of us. He even ate Devon and Sauce Sandwiches (courtesy of the Salvo’s) like the rest of us and drank GI Cordial!
He actually knows what it’s like when you see a bushfire coming at you.
On that day there was a young couple on Albert Road at Bullaburra and between Belrose Brigade and ourselves. I don’t know how we saved the place, but we did. When we were finished I had everyone on the grass out the front, they were absolutely physically exhausted, including Broggers, and this young couple could not let go of us. They were in tears thanking us because we’d just saved their house. If people can imagine losing everything you have they may understand the level of appreciation we can experience during these episodes. If you don’t do another bloody thing all year, then you’ve just done a pretty good job anyway I reckon.
You would never forget that?
I haven’t. When you know you have put a smile on someone’s face, that you have saved things like all their photos of their grandparents, their mum and dad, their children. For those that have lost everything, it’s terrible, devastating.
To save someone’s house or life is a pretty good feeling. You can stand someone on a pedestal and say ‘you’re wonderful’ and ‘here, have this medal’ BUT that’s not what it’s about – I say ‘big deal’ to that – it’s about what really matters, the people, the little things that you can’t replace.
Have you seen a bushfire coming at you at Cottage Point Jon?
I’ve seen a few.
What’s the worst one you have seen at Cottage Point?
1994, without a doubt. It was the 7th of January, a Friday at 4.30, 5pm in the afternoon – I’ve never forgotten that and never will. We were here at the station all day and could see it was getting worse by the minute – we had a fire to the north at Gosford, we had a fire to the west of us blow up in the Muogamarra and Marramarra National Park, it looked like a nuclear mushroom was developing around us.
At 4.30/5.00 we were up on Christmas Tree Hill on Cottage Point, which is the halfway mark along Liberator General San Martin Drive. From the top point there you get a good vantage to the north.
Our Group Captain on this day was Keith Bennet, who used to be a Council Ranger for Pittwater, a top bloke. He called us and asked us to look north and tell them how far the fire was spotting. I looked at Murray Campbell, as he was Captain through the 1994 fires, and said, ‘mate, that’s blowing ten kilometres ahead of itself.’
We weren’t far off because it was only a matter of minutes later that it broke out at Cottage Point.
Keith told us to make ourselves safe, that this was an extreme fire and it was going to be bad.
How did you respond to this fire?
Vicki Campbell, Murray’s wife, was standing on the truck tanker and she was the first to spot the smoke. It broke out at the end of Cowan Drive. There’s a little area down there called ‘Little Botany Bay’.
Murray called it in and they sent response units out here. We raced down the hill in the tanker, back along Cowan Drive to the extreme end; I was driving, Murray was in the left seat – we took one look at it and knew - ‘forget it, it’s gone’.
The wind was 45 kilometres an hour when the fire started, and it was at 65 kilometres an hour later. People forget that fires like these create wind.
That shot up the hill out of Little Botany Bay and went straight across Cottage Point road. As soon as it raced up the hill we turned the truck around and got back out of Cowan Drive and up Cottage Point Road to where the station is today, because it’s all been rebuilt and reopened in 1998.
The flames were that high the power lines were quickly impacted, bang, an almighty flash, they’re gone and we didn’t see power for around 13 days. Every power pole and line was burnt throughout the park right through to Terrey Hills.
We were trapped out here for 24 hours; the road from Terrey Hills for us had fallen trees everywhere; the SCS worked their guts out cutting trees in order to restore a passage through to Cottage Point.
We were trapped out here for 24 hours; the road from Terrey Hills for us had fallen trees everywhere; the SCS worked their guts out cutting trees in order to restore a passage through to Cottage Point.
McCarrs Creek Road - 1994
Entrance to the Park - 1994 fires
That fire that day was horrendous – everyone could hear me on the radio at one stage calling for water – we don’t have town water at Cottage Point. All we had was a 5000 gallon tank behind the old station. The truck itself held around two and half thousand litres.
We managed to save every house here; the crew worked themselves into the ground. One guy ended up going to hospital suffering from severe heat exhaustion and didn’t come back until well after all the fires were over.
When it was all over we were sitting outside of the station saying ‘that was a hell of a fire’ when someone said ‘Oi’!’ – we looked through and at the back of the station we could see flames through the window – so we saved the community and lost the station!
Something was there, a stray ember – and that’s what happens, a bit left, a bit of wind on it and it comes to life again.
It was Friday afternoon when it started and we didn’t get out of here until Sunday afternoon.
When we did we went to the control centre at Terrey Hills. Keith Bennet was up there and asked Murray and I to come up while the crew cleaned the truck and refilled it with water and fuel, got everything ready to go again, as this fire was still going everywhere, and Keith looked stuffed, he was exhausted. He said, ‘alright, give it to me; how many houses have we lost?’
Murray answered, ‘we haven’t lost any.’
That fire, once it shot through the Park (Kuring-gai Chase) it branches out – and that’s what it did with that wind behind it, it went in all directions; Elvina Bay, Lovett Bay. Bayview, Church Point, Ingleside, Terrey Hills, it went through everywhere. The worst scenario for us would have been if it had gotten through to what we call the 'Great Eastern Firebreak' – and that’s the ocean!
West Head Fire January 2013 - picture supplied.
How did you replace the station?
The members built the new station, which took us four years, I wrote so many letters asking companies to give us building products or funds towards what was needed; I can remember writing letters for two years until 3 in the morning to get product – John Brogden said on the opening day ‘people gave you what was needed simply to get you off the phone!’ – but it worked, we got it done and got it built.
I must mention former Warringah Mayor Julie Sutton here, she’s as straight as they come and she got us the most amount of money ever got out of a council for a rural fire station – she’s an absolute champion and it’s a pity she’s still not serving as a councillor.
At that time she got $189 thousand for us and did her utmost to ensure the council tradesmen, which they don’t have anymore, helped us as much as possible too - they helped install the villaboard ceiling.
If someone wants to become a member of a Rural Fire Brigade, what do they do?
You contact the brigade you want to join initially and let them know you’d like to be a part of this.
Prospective members then do a Friday night at the Control Centre for around two hours; this is an Introduction where people get to know each other and are informed about what will happen over the first few days of their training. They’re allocated a uniform – boots, pants, helmet and jacket.
The process of the training is also explained – the bulk of this is done at a local brigade level – you get in contact with the brigade you want to contribute to and be a part of. The initial training is done at the District Office so they have a record of this. They then do all day on the Saturday and Sunday, from 9am to 4pm, for their Basic Training.
You then spend around the next three weeks back at the brigade you’ve chosen to join, such as Cottage Point, and we help you, the new member, to understand how everything works; the equipment, such as how to start the pumps or turn the taps on and attach the branch (hose), how the station is run, how to put a ladder up safely and securely and climb up, how to use fire extinguishers, how to use hand tools if you have to cut a fire trail. The safety standards in this District are very high and prospective members are equipped with everything they will need but it’s not rocket science – it’s procedures and being trained.
They then go back to the Control Centre for a full day’s assessment.
What to you is the best part of being at Cottage Point?
Even though I have only 18 people here, you couldn’t ask for 18 better people – they give their heart and soul.
How does Cottage Point prepare for a bushfire season?
Cottage Point is a little different from other areas as we don’t have actual fire trails; we have a number of National Park blocks of land mingled among the residents here. Some of these may be marked for Hazard Reductions, if the conditions allow this to occur.
What do you do during the off season?
We do pancakes beautifully. We love our pancakes and have a number of members who have become proficient at pancakes and received a Degree in Pancakes. Rebecca organised Australia Day pancakes, told us what she wanted, how she wanted it done. Melissa was in charge of hotplate, some of the other members may help but she’s always ready to step in and help them out…
But of course we’re doing training exercises during the cooler months, and these are also part of our exercises every weekend throughout the year unless we’ve been deployed.
We also do other exercises such as this month with we have a familiarisation of all waterfront Brigades. West Pittwater Brigade will assist us, as they have a boat and we don’t. Marine Rescue at Cottage Point help us quite a lot too, and we’ll go around to Mackeral Beach and have a look at their equipment and vehicles so my members know what they have. We then go to Scotland Island, then West Pittwater, Lovett Bay station so our members understand the waterfront brigades as well.
See: Pittwater Rural Fire Brigades Bush, Boats and Boatsheds Training Exercise + St Florian's Day 2016
Bush, Boats Boatsheds photo courtesy Ingleside Brigade Captain Sean McLoughlin
Why doesn’t Cottage Point have a boat?
We haven’t been allocated one as yet.
Marine Rescue Cottage Point have been brilliant to us over the years. They, through the generosity of the Kuring-Gai Yacht Club, have access to a room on their premises which is used as their Radio Room. When Marine Rescue Cottage Point have training sessions they have use of our station as they may need larger facilities.
When we have a problem out here and the road may be cut off and access not available, our station is fully self-sufficient. We have a big diesel generator that can power the whole building. We also have marine radios here at Cottage Point station so, if their power fails below us, they can come straight up here and use the same radios they have down there. We work together, we support each other. By our two services working together we deliver a great service for the public and what we’re here to do – maintain safety and protect lives. It’s really about utilising the equipment we have and putting it to the best use – common sense really.
CPMR - photo courtesy Ingleside Brigade Captain Sean McLoughlin
Wouldn’t Cottage Point’s landscape make it a funnel for any fires that come through?
In some ways – if it’s not Duffy’s Forest then Cottage Point is quite often the entry point for fires because if you have a fire to the north, as we did in 1994, with northerly winds, the smoke and embers it will get funnelled into here. If you have a fire to the west and have a westerly blowing this is where it will come to once again. In 1994 we had a nor’ wester blowing didn’t we – so we were at the landing point for both fire directions.
We got the best of both worlds that weekend!
It’s all about wind – it may be 60 degrees and not a puff of wind and if this does occur, you can stomp on it. Wind is the problem, and the wind these fires can generate once they get going; this is the single biggest factor every time – which direction and how fast.
So you’re right – that is a key focus – there is an entry point for any fire in the Pittwater- Warringah area that’s why this station is always manned on a Total Fire Ban day. Fortunately I work in State Transit for the government, in buses, and they have been incredibly supportive of my RFB duties over many years and have enabled me to man the station during these Total Fire Ban days.
I do what is called a broken shift – so I do my morning half and come out here; if the wind is starting to get up I call in and they cover the second half; I’m staying here on alert.
Even though Cottage Point is only a small Brigade you have served elsewhere – what other places apart from the Blue Mountains has the unit served at?
Victoria, we know it well. We’ve been there in 2006, 2007 and then in 2009 I went back twice to King Lake. We went down for the first, I came back and flew back down on the Sunday – I got back to the Control Centre around 1 o’clock and there was a phone call at 2.30 asking if I could go back. Back I went.
They based me at Geelong the second time.
When Firies are sent interstate these can be long shifts – do you miss out on wages at work?
A lot of employers are pretty good nowadays and do support their employees. I do have experience of running my own business prior to this though, as a concrete truck driver, which I did for a number of years. During the whole time I had that business I was also out here as Captain and there was no one to support my work as a volunteer then. I used to put a driver on to meet contractual agreements when I was off trying to put out bushfires.
That’s paying to be a volunteer Jon!
Well, yeah. People would tell me I was an idiot, but we’ve all got a bit of that in us and the reason we’re doing it is for the right reason, and that’s what people need to keep in mind.
Let’s talk about the trucks, the tankers – what was the first one you had?
The first one we had was an old C100 International, which was called a ‘fruit truck’. It had a three door cabin, so no rear door on the right hand side where the fuel tank was. These had an old Briggs and Stratton pump on them of 10 horsepower.
Then the Bedford came along she had the 16 horsepower Briggs and Stratton and a five litre Holden V8 in it.
Bedford 5lt V8
Even back in the 1990’s we’d take it from Cottage Point up to Terrey Hills Control Centre to give it a run, wash it down and fill the tanks with water and then take her down to Hutton’s Garage down Booralie road to fill it with fuel and it would take $100.00 worth. There were times when Murray was asked if he really needed to fill the truck that week, it was a lot of money.
We’ve had a number of new trucks over the years. The one we have at present is just over a year old and the absolute latest, the first of the new automatic for wheel drive tankers.
The Cottage Point Fleet...new and old
What does that mean?
This is an IZUZU for wheel drive with an automatic transmission, just like a car. For those who are not fulltime regular heavy vehicle drivers this makes the whole ball game a hell of a lot easier.
Does whomever drives the tanker have a special licence?
They must have a Medium Rigid for a Tanker licence. To get your licence through a Driving School these days can cost you a couple of thousand so the Brigade assist people there, which helps the Rural Fire Brigades serve the community. Once people do get their licence they are then put through an Accredited Rural Fire Driver Course. This helps people have better skills for handling the vehicle on the road and most particularly, off the road.
So there are a lot of Training opportunities, which are all nationally accredited skills.
Who would you like to see wanting to join in at Cottage Point?
This would ideally suit younger members of our community, they will have access to these courses, and expanding their own skills base as a result, something that can be applied anywhere, and they will get to spend time in a beautiful environment – if you like the bush and the water, this is the place to be. They will need to have wheels to get here of course, but if mum or dad can get them here if they’re 17, and they’re keen, we’d be pleased to have them on board.
The Rural Fire Service is a great place to not only give something to your community but build yourself up as well. When a younger adult has got something they can stick their head into, something which is teaching them new skills, building confidence, helping them be part of a team, they’re doing something which will give them back a tenfold sense of achievement by being involved in something like this.
The friends they make will be mates for life. The skills they acquire from basics through to the more advanced courses on offer remind you life is learning.
Does Cottage Point have a mascot or a motto?
We have a koala that’s been ‘stationed’ here for years.
I’ll tell you something, we did find some koalas in the park a few years back on General San Martin Drive, and I have some photos of those too. A gentleman who is part of our brigade, Ian, and his dear late wife were in the car coming down one day and at the turn off she said ‘Look!’. He was that excited, they both were. He raced down to the station and got his camera, told me and said ‘come and have a look Jon’
I said, ‘oh no, we can’t do any hazard reductions now’. (Laughs)
We got National Parks and Wildlife down straight away – they were as stoked as we were. You see the signs ‘watch out for koalas’ but that’s the first time I’d seen one, a little bugger. Wonderful.
Cottage Point Rural Fire Brigade
Jon Russell
Captain
Cottage Point Brigade
Warringah / Pittwater District
NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE
Station Ph: 9456.7444
Mobile: 0407-242- 570
Brigade Training Details - Training is held 3rd Monday of every Month.
Brigade Meeting Details - General Meetings are held 1st Monday of every Month.
I said, ‘oh no, we can’t do any hazard reductions now’. (Laughs)
We got National Parks and Wildlife down straight away – they were as stoked as we were. You see the signs ‘watch out for koalas’ but that’s the first time I’d seen one, a little bugger. Wonderful.
Cottage Point Rural Fire Brigade
Jon Russell
Captain
Cottage Point Brigade
Warringah / Pittwater District
NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE
Station Ph: 9456.7444
Mobile: 0407-242- 570
Brigade Training Details - Training is held 3rd Monday of every Month.
Brigade Meeting Details - General Meetings are held 1st Monday of every Month.
