HASTINGS Coast Guard captain Jeremy West has etched his name in CFA history, becoming the first deputy group officer to be elected in a coast guard-brigade associated group.
Joining the management team of the Western Port group, West will begin the role on Saturday, 1 July.
“It’s the first time since we’ve established the Coast Guard Brigades that we’ve had representation at this level within the CFA and it’s going to be really beneficial moving forward,” West said.
“I’m looking forward to bringing more of a focus to inter-agency services and showcasing the diversity of emergency situations that we respond to as a group and organisation, because coast guards do different things outside the realm of what other brigades do.
“We also operate in quite a unique geographic area in Western Port as we have some islands. So, being able to utilise the resources and bring awareness to how we deal with those situations in our local area is something I’m keen to work on.”
Western Port’s group officer David Breadmore said West’s appointment reinforced the CFA’s direction towards including coast guard brigades within the CFA.
“The group now has representation, skill and experience in all landscapes within the footprint – urban, peri- urban, rural and now marine response,” Breadmore said.
“This inter-agency collaboration boosts the key areas where service delivery will benefit and will provide effective and enhanced services to our community.”
Breadmore said West had more than 10 years of experience in emergency management and held a range of qualifications in the sector, all while responding for both Hastings Coast Guard and Tyabb Fire Brigade.
“It was lucky with timing, because everything aligned nicely, and we had some discussions about some of the work we’d been doing which was rather diverse compared to what the brigades and the group had been doing,” West said.
“Through those discussions it became apparent that perhaps this might be a good progression for me to take that leap into the deputy group officer role.”
Members of the Hastings Coast Guard Brigade have undertaken their general firefighter course and are now responding with land-based brigades within the group.
First published in the Mornington News – 6th June 2023
