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Macclesfield CFS History
Macclesfield CFS was founded 8th December 1939.The Macclesfield CFS is a very important feature of the locale and provides assistance to the community in a variety of areas including accidents, floods and search and rescue as well as its paramount fire fighting role within the area
PRE 1939 Prior to 1939 there was no protection available to the people of Macclesfield in the event of a disaster. In the Event of the outbreak of a fire the local community banded together to extinguish the fire. The fire fighting equipment was virtually non existent and the only means of containing a major fire outbreak was with the use of tree branches, sacks and beaters. The district was fortunate during this time that a fire of major proportions did not occur and fires appear to have been able to be controlled using these methods.
However with the
increasing population of Macclesfield it was evident that better
protection was required and t was not until 1939 that an
organisation was formed to cover the contingency of a major outbreak
of fire.
1939-1956
On
Tuesday the tenth of January, 1939. South Australia was in the grip
of a heatwave. This day was the fifth day of searing heat and
was to herald the day of the greatest disaster in the history of Macclesfield.
At
six-thirty in the morning a small fire broke out in the Greenhill's
area. Fanned by strong north winds, the fire soon threatened
the small village of
Macclesfield. Efforts to fight the fire were ineffectual
without proper equipment. Every family within Macclesfield
area was affected by the disaster. Practically every shed and
haystack was destroyed along with several houses and the brewery.
By mid-afternoon there were sixty trucks on the scene
and all available local people were fighting the blaze. The fire was finally
halted
in the open country near Strathalbyn.
Three days later a fresh
outbreak began this time toward the Bugle Ranges. Several
houses were destroyed along with many head of sheep and cattle.
Volunteers came by train from Adelaide to fight the fires. The
total area destroyed was just over one hundred square miles.
It was because of
the disaster which had threatened Macclesfield than an organisation
came into being to assist in the fighting of fires within the
Macclesfield area. This organisation was known as "The
Macclesfield District Volunteer Fire Fighting Organisation".
The organisation was provided with a pump and a tank by the then
Meadows Council. The equipment provided was able to be
piggy-backed onto privately owned vehicles (predominantly the trucks
from the local cheese factory were used).
During 1941 a
small fire broke out and threatened one of the churches in the
Macclesfield area. The church was able to be saved but the
local community was concerned at the lack of effective fire fighting
equipment in the district. However before any definite plans
could be made concerning new fire fighting equipment all efforts
were hampered because of the Second World War.
In 1955 there was
again a fire in the area equal to the devastation of 1939. The
fire began on the corner of Shoebrooks Road approximately three
kilometres north of Macclesfield. The fire was thought to be
caused by a pile of rubbish left burning by ETSA. This fire
was fanned by high winds and raced across the country side taking
only ten minutes to reach Cosgrove Road, approximately five
kilometres south of Macclesfield.
Once again many
head of cattle were destroyed along with several homes. The
fire was halted at a farm property (Haig's farm) on the outskirts of
the Strathalbyn township.
This fire
resulted in a special fire truck appeal being held in 1956 by the
locals to raise money to purchase a fire truck. The truck was
a second-hand 1954 Bedford. After the purchase of the fire
truck, the Macclesfield fire fighting organisation was fully formed
and joined the South Australian Emergency Fire Service (EFS).
Several local
people were instrumental in forming this organisation and without
the efforts of RW.Tonkin, WW.White, L.Pullen and the support of the
local community the organisation may have floundered and not been
brought in to being for a good deal longer.
1956-1977
It was shortly
after (in 1958), the purchase of the fire truck, that a shed was
built to house the Bedford. The fire truck proved itself to be
a very useful and attend numerous fires each year, predominantly
haystacks and some burn-offs which had gone out of control.
A few years after
purchasing the Bedford, the community were concerned that one truck
was not adequate protection for the town's requirements.
Should an outbreak occur outside the town's precincts and the
Bedford was dispatched to help to contain the blaze the town was
left unprotected. The decision was made, after several
meetings, that a second-hand Ford Blitz be purchased from ETSA.
The price of the second truck was £200 and was
purchased in 1961.
With the purchase of the second vehicle and an increasing amount of
equipment acquired over the years it was found that the shed the
organisation was using was not large enough and so in 1964 a new
shed was erected on the corner opposite Davenport Square, the site
of the station today.
The money required for the truck and shed was achieved in
fundraising activities and was also partly subsidised by the Meadows
Council. In 1965 at a meeting held on 7th September a further
decision was made to purchase a small Land Rover Vehicle or similar.
This vehicle was to act as a quick attack/command vehicle.
The vehicle which was purchased was a 1954 Dodge utility. This
vehicle proved to be a handy addition to the Brigade and was also
involved in assisting in the containment of many small fires in and
around the district. As time went on the Brigade was gradually
achieving better improvements with newer and better equipment.
The greatest improvement was to occur in the communications area
when the FACU telephone system was introduced in 1975. This
system, *no longer in service today*, allowed several people
to answer an emergency call and sound the siren from a private
telephone instead of going to the shed to activate the siren.
The result of this was a quicker response (the average time for a
truck to mobile after a call is three minutes)
The radio communications have also improved considerably over the
years.
1977-1983
In 1977 another
noticeable change occurred. This time it was the name of the
organisation which changed from the Emergency Fire Service (EFS) to
the Country Fire Service (CFS). This had no impact on the way
the Brigade was run and the organisation continued to function as
before.
During the latter
part of 1977 as a result of a Council meeting, the Brigade would in
all probability receive one of three new fire trucks purchased by
the Council. The Brigade did in fact receive a new truck as a
result of this meeting a new International D1610 was commissioned
and given the callsign of Macclesfield 43. The International
was to replace the Ford Blitz which was subject to frequent
breakdowns and was becoming a very unreliable vehicle.
The International
- Macclesfield 43 - was to become the Macclesfield CFS's main attack
vehicle.
Not long after
the commissioning of the new vehicle it received its trial by fire
literally in the form on one of this states worst wild fires, Ash
Wednesday. The fire started in the Heathfield Rubbish dump and
burnt out many towns in the Adelaide Hills. Eventually the
fire was contained outside Echunga. Crews from Macclesfield
and surrounding districts spend several days mopping up afterwards.
Two years after
Ash Wednesday another large fire broke out near Wistow. All of
the brigades in the surrounding area were called to fight this fire.
Macclesfield was the nearest to the fire, however, the actual
township was never threatened by this fire. Several houses
were destroyed along with a couple of haystacks and many head of
stock. It was later found that the cause of this fire was
sparks from a passing goods train.
1983-1988
On 16th February
1983, the anniversary of Ash Wednesday, another heatwave was being
experienced by South Australia and again another bushfire started.
This fire was to prove to be more devastating than Ash Wednesday and
was christened by the fire-fighters, Ash Wednesday II. There
were numerous outbreaks on this day adding to the confusion of the
whole day.
The Macclesfield
Brigade was to help fight the fire in the Kuitpo State Forest Area.
At one stage the fire was a threat to Macclesfield township and the
majority of the community was evacuated to the oval.
Fortunately there was a major wind change and the fire stopped short
of the town. Fire crews spent the next fortnight putting out
hot spots.
It was decided
after this recent spate of fires that the old Bedford was outdated
and was not up to the standard required by the Macclesfield Brigade.
The decision was made to purchase a new truck. The truck which
was decided upon was an International 610A and was nominated
Macclesfield 42. The truck was taken into Meadows soon after
it was bought to be built by Mr R Hay and was later brought into
service.
In 1983 the most
significant change to the Macclesfield CFS was to occur.
During the year the Meadows Council decreased its area and put
Macclesfield and Meadows outside the Meadows Council area.
Macclesfield became part of the Mount Barker Council area. As
a result of this reorganisation of boundaries the community joined
the Mount Barker Group, which is made up of nine brigades within
this council area.
The major
difference as a result of this reorganisation was an increase in
funding. The increased funding meant an upgrade and renewal of
equipment. Training levels also improved greatly and more
exercises were able to be undertaken involving other brigades.
The Mount Barker Group (Group) also ensure that better brigade
training occurred. Attendance and interest within the
community increased as a result.
It was not until
1984 that the build up on 42 had been completed and was ready for
action.
Later in the year
it was decided that our brigade should be further equip with
Breathing Apparatus. This would ensure that fire-fighters
would not be exposed to toxic fumes when fighting fires.
Fire-fighters using this equipment are required to participate in
special training courses. The acquisition of this piece of
equipment meant that the role of the Brigade could be diversified.
Some of the incidents which the Brigade could expect to face could
involve chemical spills and rescue operations. However, this
was not expected to be a major role of the Brigade.
Towards the end
of 1984 it was proposed that we buy a new small attack vehicle to
replace to aging Dodge. The proposal was approved by the
Macclesfield Brigade Committee and shortly afterwards a Toyota Land
Cruiser was purchased.
The decision was
made to fit out the new Toyota with only the necessary equipment and
leave the major refit until after the fire season. This proved
to be a very wise decision as during the worst part of the fire
season, February 1985, a large fire broke out at Wistow. The
fire burnt out many acres of land but fortunately no houses were
destroyed. The Toyota was used extensively at the fire and was
very useful. The unit's refit was later completed by the TAFE
College of Adelaide.
Later in 1985 the
fire shed was upgraded and improved. It was extended to almost
double its size. A separate communications area was built as
were meeting rooms and a kitchen. The project took several
weeks to complete and most of the work was completed by volunteers
from within the Macclesfield community.
The following
years were relatively quiet as far as fire fighting were concerned
and this enabled the Macclesfield Brigade to complete work on Unit
43. A new build-up was completed and a trailer pump was
completed by cadet fire-fighters. The trailer pump was
designed to be used at large fires and could be used to fill up
trucks from a dam or creek.
1988
In January 1988
the Brigade for the first time in its brief history was sent on a
task force to Melrose in the Flinders Ranges to relieve
fire-fighters in the area. A large fire was burning out of
control in the Mount Remarkable National Park and a fire crew was
sent in the upgraded Unit 43.
In 1988 there
were cutbacks in the CFS funding and many vehicles were sold
including Unit 43. However, the Brigade was able to fund the
purchase of this unit and now maintain this as a Brigade owned
vehicle. The Macclesfield Brigade believed it to be necessary
to purchase and maintain this vehicle in order to retain the high
fire fighting capacity and efficiency built up over the years.
1988-1984
Between 1988 and
1994 there have not been any major outbreaks of fire within the area
of the Adelaide Hills.
The old
International D1610 was sold for scrap as the vehicle was old and
not useable.
The Brigade was
now down to one unit and this severely affected the Brigades
strength.
During January
1994 New South Wales experienced its worst fires ever and task
forces were sent to Sydney to assist on 6th and 7th of January.
The result of this was that 9 firefighters from the Macclesfield
area were sent to assist.
1994-1995
The Toyota was
becoming outdated and a decision was made to replace this with a
Kira four wheel drive. Although this vehicle has been
purchased the build up on this vehicle will prove to be a costly
exercise and the Brigade will again be required to approach the
Macclesfield community to outfit this vehicle.
On a positive
note the Cadet Group of the Macclesfield Brigade has been reformed
and a new group of upcoming young fire-fighters is being trained to
meet any emergency the Macclesfield community area may face in the
future.
1995 to Current Coming Soon