A lot has changed at the Werribee Fire Brigade since 1962, but Darryl Well’s presence is not one of them.
When Mr Wells, 82, started out the brigade would respond to about 20 calls a year.
In the 2024-2025 financial year, that number exceeded 1100 and made Werribee one of the busiest fire brigades in the country.
However, many may be unaware of the fact that they can help out without necessarily becoming a firefighter.
The brigade offers a variety of non-operational roles that provide vital support to a fire brigade through various non-emergency tasks,
These include areas such as administration, community education, fundraising, equipment maintenance, and promoting fire safety.
Since retiring from the frontline, Mr Wells has stepped into a non-operational role.
“My main support role is checking the keys to protected premises,” he said.
As the brigade manages more than 50 sets of keys to various buildings in the area, and does weekly checks, they need as many hands on deck as they can possibly get.
Many non-operational roles still are highly involved with the logistics of fighting a blaze or other emergency.
Mr Wells also said part of his personal role is keeping those turing out and responding informed of what they are facing by providing intelligence about the building or structure they are visiting.
“By the time they pull up, they will know what is going on just by looking at the tablet,” he said.
“We have a rough idea of how many people will be in the building and need to evacuate.“
If you are keen to volunteer or learn more, call 9742 7009.
