VFBV

The annual CFA Memorial Service is being held in Healesville this year on Sunday 5 May.

The event honours firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of service and is held on the closest Sunday to 4 May, which is St Florians Day (the patron saint of firefighters) and International Firefighters Day.

This year the service will particularly reflect on the 1939 fires, 80 years ago, that led to the establishment of CFA. Other events that will be part of reflections are the 1943 Tarrawingee fire, at which 10 firefighters lost their lives; the devastating fires of 1969 where two firefighters perished; and the 2009 Victorian bushfires that led to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

Fifty years ago on 8 January 1969 there were 230 fires burning across Victoria, of which 21 were serious including fires in Lara, Darraweit Guim, Daylesford, Bulgana, Yea, Kangaroo Flat and Korongvale.  During that fire more than 250,000 hectares, 230 houses and 12,000 livestock were destroyed. Tragically 21 people died, including two CFA volunteers, and hundreds were injured.

The annual memorial is a time for us to come together either in person or in spirit and remember and honour the 79 CFA firefighters (including 11 pre- 1944 Country Fire Brigades Board firefighters) who have selflessly given their lives to protect the lives of other Victorians.

VFBV will join CFA to show our respect to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the course of protecting their community.  For those not attending the service, you can watch a live stream of the event on the day from here: https://livestream.com/cfavic/memorial2019 

International Fire Fighters’ Day - The IFFD ribbons are linked to colours symbolic of the main elements firefighters work with – red for fire and blue for water. These colours also are internationally recognised as representing emergency service.