Ken Heddle has lived and breathed firefighting all of his adult life.
The 73-year-old Wyndham Vale resident was 15 years old when he joined Werribee fire brigade as a junior member in 1961 and took part in brigade competitions. Within two years, he was an active member.
Mr Heddle said he would miss the friendship and camaraderie when he and his wife move to Bendigo this month. But his volunteering days may not be over yet, with Mr Heddle keen to join the Eaglehawk CFA.
He worked as a career firefighter with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, stationed in Footscray and across the western suburbs until the mid-’90s, when he moved into the transport and logistics industry.
“I’ve seen a lot of bad stuff,” he said.
“The Lara bushfire day, we had a fire out the back of the Tarneit and Truganina area at the same time. That was a big grassfire that went all the way through from Truganina to Laverton.
“I’ve seen a lot of building fires. I saw the Werribee Manor went it went up in the ’60s – I was riding the main truck.”
Despite the tough call-outs, Mr Heddle said he treasured his 57 years with Werribee fire brigade, where he served as secretary for four years. He became a life member of the branch in 1991.
Mr Heddle was farewelled by his Werribee crew at a function last week.
