Recent News

The biggest firefighting competition of the year is taking place at Easter

Over the Easter weekend, on Saturday and Sunday 3 and 4 April 2021, the Association will be hosting Western Australia’s biggest firefighting competition for the year.

The two-day festive event will be held at Gilbert Fraser Reserve, North Fremantle where teams from all over Western Australia compete to take out the Champion Brigade titles in three divisions (A Class, C Class and Service Events) as well as Champion Firefighter, Best Performing Firefighter C Class and Best Performing Female Firefighter.

Register your team today or come along and support fellow volunteer firefighters from all over the state over a fun and festive weekend. 

Event details:

• Saturday 3 April – Opening Ceremony commences at 9.00am, followed by service events.
• Sunday 4 April – Presentations will commence at 0830 with the day’s events expected to start at 0900.
• Both days are anticipated to finish around 1700 hours.
• Location – Gilbert Frazer Reserve, North Fremantle

When does our team need to register by?

The following registration forms need to be competed and emailed to competition@vfrs.asn.au by close of business Friday, March 12:

• Register of Competitors
• Nomination Form – A Class Teams
• Nomination Form – C Class Teams
• Nomination Form – Female Firefighter Events
• Nomination Form – Service Competition Events

If you don’t know the names of everyone competing yet, please let us know:

• How many teams you are entering,
• Which grades your teams are competing in,
• If you have female firefighter entrants, and
• If you’ll be competing in the service events.

Have a question?

If you have any questions regarding the Easter Championships, or any of the individual events, please contact Jodie Neuzerling, our competition coordinator, by email at competition@vfrs.asn.au.

Time & Location

 

Our VFF special number plates are super popular.

They look top notch and stand out on any vehicle. Did you know you can order them, and the plastic surrounds, through the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services Association?

How much does VFF special number plates and surrounds cost?

The cost to purchase VFF special number plates and a set of plastic surrounds (as shown in the photo banner above) plus postage of the surrounds is $290.

The Department of Transport will contact you when your VFF special number plates are ready for collection from your local licensing centre.

How do I purchase VFF special number plates and surrounds?

Email admin@vfrs.asn.au to check if the number plate you would like is available. We suggest you email three numbers. For example VFF 82, VFF 058 or  VFF 975.

Once you have received confirmation from us that the VFF special number plate is available, please email the completed VFF Special Number Plate Application Form to admin@vfrs.asn.au along with your:

• Name
• Postage Address for the plastic surrounds
• Contact telephone number

Then an invoice will be emailed to you. Once payment has been received, the Department of Transport will process your application. Generally it takes six weeks before the VFF special number plates will be ready for collection from your local licensing centre.

Did you know we have a merchandise shop?

Click here to check out other items we have in stock including beanies, shirts, glassware, bags, soft toys and much more!

We hope everyone who participated in the Southern Cross Picnic Demo over the weekend has recovered well.

From a competition perspective, it was a “good hit out” and a great celebration of brigade service afterwards.

Many thanks to Spud and the crew, for not only for hosting the picnic competition and organising the formal event for recognition of service afterwards, but for providing us with a great example of how to create and maintain a healthy and vibrant culture within a brigade.  It is our sincere hope that this is somewhat contagious and it’ll help other brigades come up with similar ways of creating momentum within their own brigades.

We also need to thank the Kalamunda VFRS crew for coming all the way up to Southern Cross on the promise of a few service events.

They competed well and managed to pull places between first and third in all the events we ran. It also helped significantly with our understanding of how to actually do the runs.

Noteworthy, were the results of the Pumper Breech event.  All three teams that ran this managed to stuff it up in their own unique way, but the time variance between first and third was less than 5 seconds!

Click here for all the results from the Southern Cross Picnic Demo.

Regarding the service events, TJ and Ross have a working theory that any more than 20 twists in the red 40mm hose will not “unspin” themselves automatically with the application of water pressure.  They look forward to refining this theory at Fremantle next weekend.

For those competing next weekend at the State Opens, please drive safe and we will catch you down there.

Has your brigade considered putting together a running team?

Come down to the State Open’s on 27 and 28 February at Gilbert Fraser Reserve, North Fremantle and check out what the events are all about. The weekend will comprise of traditional games plus we are implementing modern firefighting games too. If you have any questions or would like to know more, contact Jodie by email at competition@vfrs.asn.au.

 

 

The World Firefighters Games Governing Body is pleased to announce that the 14^th World Firefighters Games will be hosted by the City of Lisbon, Portugal from 30 April to 7 May 2022.

The City of Lisbon has been selected on its merits of being a fantastic location, its vibrancy and its overwhelming desire to welcome firefighters from all around the world, to view, taste and feel the warmth of this historic city.  It is hoped that you, your colleagues and of course your families will join The World Firefighters Games Governing Body in Lisbon for 8 days of competition, camaraderie and of course the enjoyment that the World Firefighters Games brings to all of those involved.

For more information about the 14^th World Firefighters Games please visit www.wfg2022.pt  or follow them on Facebook  at wfg2022.

One of Western Australia’s Volunteer Fire Brigade’s greatest and most consistent athletes

(WA Fire Brigade News Sheet, 30 Sept: 1979)

Kalgoorlie born Ray Willis was an active member of the South Kalgoorlie (SKVFB) and Kambalda (KVFB) Volunteer Fire Brigades for some 16 years. He joined SKVFB in 1962 at the age of 18 and began competing in the Volunteer Fire Brigade championships in 1963. During the summer months, this sport formed a large part of the brigade activities and Ray quickly earned a reputation as an accomplished athlete. He competed in both state and interstate championships winning numerous events and a total of 13 individual Champion Fireman awards including two Rex Mitchell gold medals for the title “Western Australian Champion Fireman”.

A champion ladder man, Ray won the blue ribbon “Ladder Race for One Man” competing against 137 brigades in 1968 at the Victorian State Championships in Echuca. He is the second only West Australian fireman (previously 1948) to achieve this feat since WA teams first began travelling to Victorian championships in 1899. The WA Fire Brigades Board Chief Officer F.E. Harding acknowledged this magnificent achievement in a letter congratulating Ray on his “meritorious” win that “reflects credit to the whole of the Fire Service of Western Australia”.

Ray was Goldfields Dry-Work Champion Fireman from 1967-71 & 1973-74, Goldfields Zone Champion Fireman from 1968-69, 1971 & 1973, WA Champion Fireman in 1969 & 1973 runner up in 1970, 1971 & 1974. He did not compete in the 1965-66 WA State Championships as he was living interstate and in 1972 illness limited his participation.

Ray was also an exceptionally fast runner. He won the 100 yards sprint event at the 1965 Victorian Championship in Ballarat, the 1967 & 1968 (dead heat) WA State Championships and again in 1970 at the Tasmanian Championship in Burnie. In 1967, wearing long pants and sandshoes on a bitumen track, he ran the fastest time (10.00 sec.) ever recorded at a WA Championship.

Ray was a SKVFB member from 1962 to early 1965 and again from 1967-70 followed by the Kambalda Brigade from 1971-78. Whilst a member of these brigades he competed at the Victorian Urban Fire Brigades Championships in 1965, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1977 and the Tasmanian Championship in 1970. He enjoyed many team successes with SKVFB winning the WA “A” Class Championship in 1968 and 1969 and runner-up in 1964, 1967 and 1970.

In the 1970 WA Championship, Ray pulled a hamstring muscle in the final heat of the last event which set his team back from winning a third consecutive WA ‘A” Class Championship. He was also forced to forfeit a run-off for WA Champion Fireman, a title he won in 1969. After this injury, Ray often suffered with recurring hamstring problems.

In 1971 Ray transferred to the Kambalda Brigade which subsequently won the WA “C” Class Championship. It was the first State Championship the brigade

had attended and the team set record times in four of the seven wet-work events. The following year the brigade won the “B” Class Championship and set a record of 19.68 seconds for the Hose & Ladder Five Men event also beating the “A” Class record. Three of these records still stand today; Hose & Ladder 5 Men in 1971 & 1972 and the Blue Ribbon Hose Practice 8 Men in 1971. Ray was the ladder man for the two Hose & Ladder 5 events and hydrant man for the Blue Ribbon Hose Practice 8 men.

Ray was brigade secretary from 1973–75 and elected captain/coach from late 1975 to 1978. Under his leadership the brigade won its first W.A. ‘A’ Class Championship in 1977 and 1978. The Brigade also won the April 1977 Goldfields Sports Star award. On leaving Kambalda in late 1978, Ray was awarded Life Membership of the Kambalda Brigade. He later transferred to the Mandurah Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1979 but resigned shortly after due to other commitments.

Ray then undertook judging duties at WA State Championships for a few years and from 1984-6 was elected President of the WA League of Champion Firemen. During his tenure, funds were raised to purchase gold for future “Rex Mitchell” champion fireman medals. The league membership badge was also designed and issued.

As well as contributing to Kalgoorlie’s reputation as a top sporting centre, Ray was unknowingly continuing a family tradition of volunteer firemen and athleticism. Back in 1889 and 1896, his great uncle W.H. Johnson was a member of the Ballarat brigade and was awarded two medals for winning in team events at the Victorian Championships. The Johnson family in Ballarat has handed down these medals to Ray for keeping.

Compiled by Vanessa Evangelista in 2016 and verified by Rod McNally (past General Secretary – WAVFRS Association) as a true and fair record of the achievements of Champion Fireman and Ex Captain Ray Willis.

In cool, windy and occasionally wet weather a Junior Competition was held at the Mandurah Track on the Western Foreshore.

This was the last competition on the track before it is to be torn up to make way for a new development along the foreshore. Given the conditions the program was modified to only run the Dry Work events and the 2 Competitor Wet Hose, 4 Competitor Single Disc and 4 Competitor Double Disc.

4 Junior Teams and 6 Sub Junior Teams competed from 3 brigades. Given the conditions and being the first competition of the season the times for the events were very good. Harvey proved once again that they have good depth in both the Sub Juniors and Juniors and was the Overall Champion Brigade.

As the current State Champions and also Overall Champions at the 2020 Victorian Championships they are throwing out the challenge to brigades for this year’s State Junior Championships.

 

RESULTS

EVENT 1: 4 COMPETITOR Y COUPLING

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Harvey 1                       Time: 12.29 s                                     1^st: Brunswick 1                 Time: 10.00 s

2^nd: Brunswick 2                Time: 15.26 s                                     2^nd: Harvey 2                      Time: 10.37 s

3^rd: Mandurah 2                Time: 19.42 s                                     3^rd: Mandurah 1                Time: 12.67 s

4^th:                                         Time:                                                     4^th: Harvey 1                       Time: 14.78 s

5^th:                                          Time:                                                     5^th:                                          Time:

 

 

EVENT 2: 2 COMPETITOR Y COUPLING

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Harvey 1 (1)                Time: 15.92 s                                     1^st: Harvey 1 (2)                Time: 14.24 s

2^nd: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 16.69 s                                     2^nd: Harvey 2 (2)               Time: 15.04 s

3^rd: Harvey 1 (2)                Time: 18.37 s                                     3^rd: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 15.29 s

4^th: Brunswick 1 (2)          Time: 19.89 s                                     4^th: Harvey 1 (1)                Time: 16.05 s

5^th: Mandurah 1 (2)         Time: 22.83 s                                     5^th: Harvey 2 (1)                Time: 16.16 s

 

EVENT 3: 1 COMPETITOR Y COUPLING

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Harvey 1 (2)                Time: 22.72 s                                     1^st: Harvey 1 (2)                Time: 19.87 s

2^nd: Mandurah 1 (2)         Time: 27.29 s                                     2^nd: Brunswick 1(1)          Time: 20.73 s

3^rd: Brunswick 1 (1)          Time: 28.03 s                                     3^rd: Harvey 1 (1)                 Time: 22.33 s

4^th: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 31.05 s                                     4^th: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 23.89 s

5^th: Harvey 1 (1)                 Time: 31.74 s                                     5^th: Brunswick 1 (2)          Time: 24.37 s

 

EVENT 4: 2 COMPETITOR MARSHALL

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Harvey 1 (1)                Time: 22.44 s                                     1^st: Harvey 2 (2)                Time: 18.43 s

2^nd: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 26.67 s                                     2^nd: Brunswick 1(1)          Time: 18.66 s

3^rd: Brunswick 1 (1)          Time: 29.14 s                                     3^rd: Harvey 1 (2)                 Time: 20.30 s

4^th: Brunswick 1 (2)          Time: 47.30 s                                     4^th: Harvey 2 (1)                 Time: 21.79 s

5^th:                                         Time:                                                     5^th: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 25.06 s

 

EVENT 5: 1 COMPETITOR MARSHALL

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Harvey 1 (2)                Time: 35.20 s                                     1^st: Harvey 2 (1)                Time: 29.73 s

2^nd: Harvey 1 (1)               Time: 42.06 s                                     2^nd: Harvey 1(1)                 Time: 32.61 s

3^rd: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 44.06 s                                     3^rd: Brunswick 1 (1)          Time: 34.55 s

4^th: Mandurah 1 (2)         Time: 47.50 s                                     4^th: Brunswick 1 (2)          Time: 36.02 s

5^th: Brunswick 1 (2)          Time: 51.55 s                                     5^th: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 36.89 s

 

 

EVENT 6: 1 COMPETITOR HYDRANT RACE

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Harvey 2 (1)                Time: 12.74 s                                     1^st: Brunswick 1 (1)          Time: 12.28 s

2^nd: Brunswick 1 (1)         Time: 13.48 s                                     2^nd: Harvey 1(1)                 Time: 12.98 s

3^rd: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 13.49 s                                     3^rd: Harvey 2 (1)                 Time: 13.54 s

4^th: Harvey 1 (1)                 Time: 14.82 s                                     4^th: Harvey 2 (2)                 Time: 14.27 s

5^th: Brunswick 2 (1)          Time: 15.75 s                                     5^th: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 15.84 s

 

EVENT 7: 2 COMPETITOR WET HOSE

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Harvey 1 (1)                Time: 15.22 s                                     1^st: Harvey 1 (2)                Time: 12.76 s

2^nd: Brunswick 1 (2)         Time: 16.85 s                                     2^nd: Harvey 1(1)                 Time: 13.59 s

3^rd: Brunswick 1 (1)          Time: 17.23 s                                     3^rd: Harvey 2 (2)                 Time: 14.54 s

4^th: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 17.74 s                                     4^th: Brunswick 1 (1)          Time: 16.17 s

5^th: Harvey 1 (2)                Time: 19.58 s                                     5^th:                                         Time:

 

EVENT 8: 4 COMPETITOR SINGLE DISC

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Brunswick 1                 Time: 24.40 s                                     1^st: Harvey 1                       Time: 18.62 s

2^nd: Harvey 1                      Time: 26.63 s                                     2^nd: Brunswick 1                Time: 19.99 s

3^rd: Brunswick 2                Time: 29.35 s                                     3^rd: Harvey 2                       Time: 20.76 s

4^th: Mandurah 2                Time: 43.40 s                                     4^th: Mandurah 1 (1)         Time: 22.69 s

5^th: Mandurah 1                Time: 46.20 s                                     5^th:                                         Time:

 

EVENT 9: 4 COMPETITOR DOUBLE DISC

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Brunswick 1                 Time: 28.16 s                                     1^st: Harvey 1                       Time: 19.80 s

2^nd: Mandurah 1               Time: 30.72 s                                     2^nd: Harvey 2                      Time: 20.76 s

3^rd: Harvey 1                       Time: 30.98 s                                     3^rd: Mandurah 1                Time: 24.02 s

4^th: Brunswick 2                 Time: 37.21 s                                     4^th:                                         Time:

5^th: Mandurah 2                                Time: 61.78 s                                     5^th:                                         Time:

 

CHAMPION FIREFIGHTER:

 

Sub Juniors                                                                                         Juniors

 

1^st: Harvey 1 (2D)             10 points                                             1^st: Brunswick 1 (1D)       12 points

2^nd: Mandurah 1 (1D)        8 points                                              2^nd: Harvey 1 (1D)            11 points

3^rd: Harvey 1 (1D)               7 points                                              3^rd: Harvey 2 (2D)               8 points

 

CHAMPION BRIGADES

 

Sub Juniors                                                         Juniors                                                 Overall

1^st: Harvey           64 points                             1^st: Harvey 1       65 points             1^st: Harvey 1                       129 points

2^nd: Brunswick 1 41 points                            2^nd: Brunswick 1 40 points            2^nd: Brunswick 1                  81 points

3^rd: Mandurah 1 37 points                            3^rd: Harvey 2       38 points             3^rd: Mandurah 1                  62 points

In accordance with the Constitution, NOTICE is hereby given that the 2020 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services Association of WA (Inc) will be conducted on Saturday 17^th October 2020; at Crown Perth commencing at 1500 hours. 

 

Brigades who wish to put forward a “Notice of Motion” are advised to do so by noon on Friday 2^nd October 2020.  These requests may be submitted in writing to PO Box 2417, High Wycombe  WA  6057 or via email to Executive Officer Ken O’Reilly via email address executive@vfrs.asn.au.

 

Notices of Motion will be circulated with the Agenda and draft Annual Report no later than Friday 9^th October 2020.

 

 Ken O’Reilly

Executive Officer

 

WA Volunteer Fire & Rescue Rugby Jumpers Available to Purchase

Cut for a classic fit with ribbed sleeve cuffs and an internal contrast woven back neck dome, our rugby jumpers have concealed 3-button placket and a straight hem with side splits.

The 350gsm rugby knit fabric comprises of  65% Polyester for durability, and 35% Cotton for comfort and has the WA Volunteer logo embordered on the chest.

Special offer!

For the month of September, if you or your brigade pre-order 10 or more rugby jumpers, you’ll receive one free!

How much do rugby jumpers cost?

The cost per rugby jumper is $45.00 plus postage if you are unable to collect your order from our Guildford office.

How do I order a rugby jumper for me and the rest of my brigade?

If you would like to pre-order rugby jumpers, please email the Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association of WA no later than Friday, 2 October:

• Your name and contact details
• How many rugby jumpers you would like to order and the sizes required
• If you would like to collect your order from the office in Guildford to save on postage costs

We will then be in touch with you to confirm your order and to organise payment. Rugby jumpers are anticipated to arrive by mid-October 2020.

How do I know what size to order?

You can order rugby jumpers in the following sizes:

Questions?

If you have any questions about placing a pre-order, please call us on 08 9377 8900 or contact us by email at admin@vfrs.asn.au.

Did you know we have a merchandise shop?

Click here to check out other items we have in stock including caps, aprons, belt buckles and much more!

 

 

 

The low pill navy and red zip hoodie, made from 300gm blended 65% polyester / 35% cotton, is a hit with members all over Western Australia.

Special offer: Personalise your hoodie!

For the month of July, you have the opportunity to personalise your hoodie by having your name embroidered in white on the back. Order one for everyone in the team!

How do I order a hoodie for me and the rest of my brigade?

You can order non-personalised hoodies here for $45.00. Please email us if the size you are after is unavailable and we can order it in for you.

If you would like to pre-order personalised hoodies, please email the Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association of WA no later than Monday 20 July:

• Your name and contact details
• How many hoodies you would like to order and the sizes required
• If you would like to collect your order from the office in Guildford to save on postage costs
• Provide the text, as you would like it shown, to embroider on the back of the hoodie (please don’t forget capital letters etc).

We will then be in touch with you to confirm your order and to organise payment. Personalised hoodies are anticipated to arrive by mid-August 2020.

How much do personalised hoodies cost?

If you would like the name of your brigade on the back of your hoodie (please refer to the photo showing Kalamunda Fire & Rescue as an example), the cost per hoodie is $55.00.

Can my hoodie be embroidered with something besides my brigade’s name?

It is entirely up to you and your team as to how you personalise your hoodie. Please be mindful, if the text covers more than two lines, the price per hoodie will increase. Please email us and we can arrange a quote for you.

Perhaps surprise a family member with their own hoodie:

• Proud Partner of [insert brigade name] Fire & Rescue – $65.00 per hoodie
• Proud  Supporter of [insert brigade name] Fire & Rescue – $65.00 per hoodie

How do I know what size to order?

You can order hoodies in the following sizes:

Children’s sizes are also available for those who are after a smaller size.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding placing a pre-order, please call us on 08 9377 8900 or contact us by email at admin@vfrs.asn.au.

Did you know we have a merchandise shop?

Click here to check out other items we have in stock including beanies, shirts, glassware, bags, soft toys and much more!