By Brendan Rees
Cranbourne fire brigade has reached a significant milestone, celebrating its 75th anniversary.
About 105 guests gathered to toast the brigade during a dinner on Saturday 10 August.
This evening also acknowledged the achievements and service of brigade members.
Debra Jackson was presented with the firefighter of the year award with James Park as runner up.
Robert Lake and Alan Dodson both reached milestones, receiving 50 year service awards.
Guests included volunteers from the Narre Warren State Emergency Service, Cranbourne Police, and neighbouring CFA brigades from Clyde, Narre Warren, Devon Meadows and Langwarrin.
Many former Cranbourne brigade members including former captains and lieutenants returned to share memories.
The brigade attended more than 1,000 calls for assistance in the last financial year.
Members have attended major fires overs the years including the 1983 Ash Wednesday bush fires, the 1992 New South Wales bush fires, the North-East Alpine fires of 2003-2004, Black Saturday, the Hazelwood mine fires of 2014 and the 2019 Bunyip fires.
Established in 1940, the Cranbourne fire station was originally located on Codrington Street before moving to its current home of Arundel Street in 1999.
In 1970 the urban and the rural brigades combined to form the Cranbourne fire brigade, having both the urban and rural under the same officer structure.
In 1994 a public meeting was held and the Cranbourne rural brigade was disbanded and all rural members were transferred the Cranbourne urban fire brigade.
