Janice Creenaune meets Jenny and Andrew Newland, long-time Austinmer residents who volunteer with the Community Fire Unit.
Jenny and Andrew Newland, an IT consultant and a geologist respectively, have long served the community in their efforts to be fire ready. Now retired and in their early 70s, they continue to enable local community action and knowledge with the Community Fire Units (CFUs).
“Andrew joined the local CFU in 1995, not long after the program began, and I joined in 2012,” Jenny says. “We were both still working at the time, but with the CFU’s unique local focus, it was not an onerous task to undertake. Now as coordinators for our unit it is a continual process of renewal to bring in new members, train them up and increase our knowledge.
“Some have remained in the group from the beginning with the trailer placement in Foothills Road, but many neighbours have moved on and volunteers are now tightly stretched.
“What people don’t realise is how easy it is to participate.”
Andrew says: “It is different to the Rural Fire Service. We work to be locally prepared and act in readiness for the possibility of bushfires affecting our homes and the area in Austinmer.
“We have a defined area of activity immediately surrounding our homes. We don’t enter into the bush to fight fires or enter a burning building and we are instructed by the Fire and Rescue NSW in times of possible crisis.”
Jenny says: “Many newcomers have been fortunate to not experience a major bushfire threat, but it is always there. It is a factor of the beautiful area in which we live.
“We are always looking for more members, maybe a little younger, stronger even, who are willing to be educated and trained.
“Anyone aged 16 (with parental consent) or over can join, and those not physically strong can also play a part in communications, equipment maintenance and understanding fires.
“It can be a whole community activity.”
Andrew says the unit works to familiarise locals with the CFU trailer. “We work cooperatively together starting the pumps, attaching hoses, accessing hydrants and other water sources and hand tools where water is not available, as well as using communication devices, all for the common purpose of fire readiness. We all know the trailer and its workings.
“We can advise incoming firefighters from other areas or states who may be unfamiliar with our area, and we can all set up hoses etc. in readiness for use by them.
“While our roles are limited, we are able to deal with ember attacks and spot fires as well as mop activities after a fire front passes, all valuable tasks in saving homes, lives and our beautiful area while freeing up vital firefighting resources.”
NSW has more than 500 CFUs. “Austinmer and Thirroul have two trailers each, but there seems a great need for more units in our area.”
The couple renovated their home with fire in mind. “Even those homes not directly bush affected and closer to the beach can be impacted by fast flying embers,” says Andrew. “Ember attacks can burn houses down before, during and after a fire.
“The fires of 1968 are still in the memory of many long-term residents. The more recent fires in the early 2000s when fire came over the escarpment and burnt down to Foothills Road, Buttenshaw Drive and Morrison Avenue, are a further reminder. And then there were the Black Summer fires to wake us all up.”
Jenny and Andrew play a vital role in an area renowned for its beauty and its potential dangers.
For more details, access Community Fire Units as part of Fire and Rescue NSW. Email cfu@fire.nsw.gov.au
Janice Creenaune is a volunteer for Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation Australia. Email janicecreenaune@gmail.com
