Sept2012_Dear Editor 1
Communications Theft at DDRFB Fire Station:
It never ceases to amaze me the efforts that some folk go to, to steal what they want – even from a hard-working volunteer organisation like the Rural Fire Brigade.
It never ceases to amaze me the efforts that some folk go to, to steal what they want – even from a hard-working volunteer organisation like the Rural Fire Brigade.
Sometime prior to 08 August, someone decided that they required the UHF aerial from the Dayboro and District Rural Fire Brigade Fire Station more than we did.
This aerial, which was mounted on top of the Unitywater water tower behind our station (on the corner of Laceys Creek and Sellin Roads), was stolen possibly over the weekend of 04/05 August. The thief had to climb over a two-metre high chainwire fence, with barbed wire coiled along the top, to get into the compound. That person then had to climb the steel ladder fitted to the side of the tower to gain access to the roof of the tower, then climb our aerial installation to remove the aerial.
This wasn’t an act of senseless vandalism for the thief had obviously taken some form of cable cutters aloft to disconnect the aerial.
It will take approximately three weeks to have our new colinear aerial manufactured – meanwhile, we have had a UHF dipole temporarily fitted to the installation to allow us to communicate with Firecom at Kedron, especially with an horrific bushfire season predicted for this year. For our community’s sake, I’m glad the theft was realised before the fire season started. Not only does the aerial have to be replaced, but the damaged cable that runs from the station up onto the tower will have to be replaced as well, because the supplier cannot guarantee that a join in the cable can be successfully waterproofed.
I hope the thief is satisfied with him/herself. The money that is used to fund our service comes from the annual $25.00 fire levy on rural land, which the Moreton Bay Regional Council collects from rural landowners on our behalf. Members of our brigade assist landowners with hazard-reduction burns on their properties – for which we accept a ‘fee for service’ (donation). It takes many of these ‘donations’ to allow us to build our fire station, purchase fire appliances to use in our community, to fuel and maintain these appliances, to maintain the fire station, to pay our electricity and telephone accounts, etc, etc.
Is it any wonder that our members get ‘ticked off’ when an act of lunacy like this deprives us of something as vital, and as life-saving, as our communications ?
To everyone who lives out Mt Pleasant, Mt Brisbane or Laceys Creek way, I ask you to keep a vigilant eye on our/your fire station when you drive past, and please, report anything suspicious to Dayboro Police.
Many thanks.
Glenn Bell, Chairman,
Dayboro and District Rural Fire Brigade.
This aerial, which was mounted on top of the Unitywater water tower behind our station (on the corner of Laceys Creek and Sellin Roads), was stolen possibly over the weekend of 04/05 August. The thief had to climb over a two-metre high chainwire fence, with barbed wire coiled along the top, to get into the compound. That person then had to climb the steel ladder fitted to the side of the tower to gain access to the roof of the tower, then climb our aerial installation to remove the aerial.
This wasn’t an act of senseless vandalism for the thief had obviously taken some form of cable cutters aloft to disconnect the aerial.
It will take approximately three weeks to have our new colinear aerial manufactured – meanwhile, we have had a UHF dipole temporarily fitted to the installation to allow us to communicate with Firecom at Kedron, especially with an horrific bushfire season predicted for this year. For our community’s sake, I’m glad the theft was realised before the fire season started. Not only does the aerial have to be replaced, but the damaged cable that runs from the station up onto the tower will have to be replaced as well, because the supplier cannot guarantee that a join in the cable can be successfully waterproofed.
I hope the thief is satisfied with him/herself. The money that is used to fund our service comes from the annual $25.00 fire levy on rural land, which the Moreton Bay Regional Council collects from rural landowners on our behalf. Members of our brigade assist landowners with hazard-reduction burns on their properties – for which we accept a ‘fee for service’ (donation). It takes many of these ‘donations’ to allow us to build our fire station, purchase fire appliances to use in our community, to fuel and maintain these appliances, to maintain the fire station, to pay our electricity and telephone accounts, etc, etc.
Is it any wonder that our members get ‘ticked off’ when an act of lunacy like this deprives us of something as vital, and as life-saving, as our communications ?
To everyone who lives out Mt Pleasant, Mt Brisbane or Laceys Creek way, I ask you to keep a vigilant eye on our/your fire station when you drive past, and please, report anything suspicious to Dayboro Police.
Many thanks.
Glenn Bell, Chairman,
Dayboro and District Rural Fire Brigade.
