20 Nov 2017 Border Mail, Albury-Wodonga (General News) by Janet Howie NORTH East emergency service groups will be able to replace ageing vehicles and upgrade facilities with their share of a $13 million Victorian equipment funding scheme. Tawonga Country Fire Authority brigade received $170,000 for a new light tanker and Baranduda and Chiltern brigades each gained $113,500 for ultra light tankers. Rutherglen ($46,667), Tallangatta ($56,000) and Bogong ($37,000) will add field command vehicles while smaller grants went to brigades including Bright, Yackandandah, Corryong, Benalla, Wangaratta and South Wangaratta. State Emergency Service units in Corryong ($59,024), Falls Creek ($18,098) and Bright ($51,821) also applied successfully to the volunteer emergency services equipment program. Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the grants funded operational equipment, including vehicles, trucks, tankers, watercraft, trailers and minor facility upgrades. I and the local communities know that our dedicated hard-working volunteers do an amazing job keeping our local community safe and they deserve nothing but the best equipment, she said. Baranduda CFA brigade members could discuss their grant while taking part in Sundays pre-summer training exercise at Wodonga racecourse. Its only very new news, everybody in the brigade was rapt, Barandudas Paul Allwood said. Mr Allwood said the funding would buy a new slip-on fire fighting vehicle. It can get into spots that the bigger trucks cant get to and it can generally get there quicker, he said. The brigades existing unit was about 14 years old and nearing the end of its useful life. Mr Allwood, also deputy group officer for Wodonga group, said 13 teams took part in the refresher day, which aimed to reinforce skills leading into the fire season. Everybody loved it, he said. Theres people who have been in the CFA for 50 years here, others are juniors who are still too young to be active fire fighters. Caption Text: REFRESHER: Wodonga, Baranduda, Leneva, Bonegilla, Wodonga West, Kiewa and Barnawartha crews train on Sunday. Picture: SIMON BAYLISS Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.