Rotary 9600 Past District Governor Darryl Iseppi, East Nanango RFB 1st Officer David Black and QFES Commissioner Greg Leach
November 29, 2021
Rural fire brigade volunteers from across the South Burnett gathered at the East Nanango fire shed on Saturday morning for a special “thank you” to Rotary.
Also present at the morning tea were QFES Commissioner Greg Leach and Assistant Commissioner John Bolger.
Rotary were being thanked for a very generous donation: a total of $53,000 worth of equipment distributed to the 30 rural fire brigades across the South Burnett.
The donations were part of $200,000 in financial support from Rotary Australia World Community Service to brigades in south-east Queensland.
Each brigade could choose what sort of equipment they would like, ranging from leaf blowers and generators, to dashcams, torque spanners and mobile phone boosters.
Commissioner Leach said the QFES provided the brigades with all the basic equipment they required but these donations provided extra equipment that would make the volunteers’ jobs even safer.
Former Rotary District 9600 president Darry Iseppi said the morning was an opportunity for representatives from brigades to accept the equipment.
But he said it was also an opportunity for Rotary members to thank the brigades for the work they do to keep people safe.
Commissioner Greg Leach and Assistant Commissioner John Bolger also took the opportunity of the visit to present McEuen RFB secretary Kellie Sewell with the National Emergency Medal for her work during the response and recovery phases in Townsville after Cyclone Debbie in 2017Assistant Commissioner John Bolger, Rotary 9630 Past District Governor Ros Kelly, Rotary 9600 Past District Governor Darryl Iseppi, East Nanango RFB 1st Officer David Black, Commissioner Greg Leach and QFES Area Director for the South and North Burnett, Inspector Martin Taylor with some of the new equipmentRotary Past District Governors Darryl Iseppi, Neil Black and Ros Kelly with Michelle Hansen, second from left, from Malar-Booie RFB (Photo: Malar-Booie RFB)Rotary 9600 Past District Governor Neil Black with Steve Bliss, Maidenwell RFB 3rd OfficerKingaroy Rotary’s Ray Pitt with Michelle Hansen, Malar-Booie RFBAmber Goldsmith, Kunioon-Hodgleigh RFB; Mark Beil, Stuart River RFB 1st Officer; Nathan McNamara, Kunioon Hidgleigh RFB and Melissa Beil, Stuart River RFB chairpersonGreg Holder, South Nanango RFB 2nd officer; Ron White, South Nanango 1st Officer; and Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland president Ian Pike AFSM
