It’s all hands on deck

By Lia Bichel
IT WAS all about teamwork when emergency services throughout the region joined forces to help Casey residents affected by last weekend’s floods.
The Narre Warren CFA received its first call at 6.42pm on the evening of Friday 4 February, to rescue a man trapped in a car near flooded waters on the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.
That was the first of many calls for assistance which continued throughout the weekend.
Narre Warren CFA captain Paul Hardy said members of the brigade were flat out during last weekend’s wet and wild weather, and thanked fellow brigades and community organisations for lending a helping hand.
“We spent the night going from job to job, mainly checking cars that sometimes were up to the roof with water,” he said
“Our members did their very best for our community, and I was very proud of everything that they did.
“I received many calls from our surrounding brigades offering us any help at all with anything we needed during this period- I just wanted to say thanks.”
Mr Hardy said CFA set up a control centre at Narre Warren fire station to co-ordinate all the appliances.
He said the Narre Warren brigade was also thankful for Brancas Garden Supplies for helping to protect the Narre Warren fire station, which was at risk of flooding.
“Thanks to the kindness of Brancas Garden Supplies who came to our rescue,” he said.
“Even though they were closed, they came and surrounded our station with sand.”
City of Casey mayor Shar Balmes also thanked the community for helping each other during the floods and recovery process.
She said many residents were “doing it tough” and urged people who needed assistance to contact the City of Casey municipal floods recovery centre at the civic centre in Narre Warren.
She said the centre was staffed with council officers and representatives from government and local community services agencies.
It is open from 9am until 5pm, Monday to Friday, until further notice.