Fourteen female firefighters attended from four different CFA districts in the north-east region.
The day began with morning tea and a meet and greet, followed by a briefing.
Next, the firefighters suited up in personal protective equipment and headed to the training ground.
The groups were fortunate to have five dedicated pad instructors — Mark Kohler, Ed Martin, James Stephens, John Mahoney and Mick Gidman — who committed their Sunday to support the training.
The 14 volunteers were divided into two groups, with one group starting at the petrol station.
The scenario involved a car fire, a rescue, isolating the gas supply and using a fire extinguisher.
The second group started its training with a Gas Impingement Shield with basic pumping to supply a fog branch.
A fog branch or fog nozzle breaks the stream of water into small droplets, which spread in a greater surface area. Heat absorption is high with this nozzle.
They received instruction on best practices for pumping, water pressure requirements and connecting to a hydrant.
The groups swapped scenarios and then took a break for lunch.
In the afternoon session, participants took part in an internal search and rescue scenario in a two-storey building filled with smoke.
Two members also had the opportunity to update their breathing apparatus skills.
Attendees gave great feedback, noting that it was a fun and informative day.
Staff at the Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre expressed their gratitude to CFA training pad supervisor Richie Gardner, the pad operators and the pad instructors.
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