Our Members

The ACT Volunteer Brigades Association (or the VBA) represents all of Canberra’s volunteer rural firefighters who work with the Australian Capital Territory Rural Firefighting Service (the ACTRFS).

All ACTRFS volunteer firefighters automatically become ‘individual’ members of the VBA on appointment.

ACTRFS brigades which are ‘brigade’ members of the VBA and therefore have voting rights, nominate brigade representatives to work with the VBA Executive Team to advocate in respect of issues of concerns raised by individual volunteers and member brigades, and also to determine the strategic direction of the VBA.

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Our ACTRFS brigades play a vital role in protecting, serving, and educating our local ACT communities in relation to grass, bush, and forest fires in the Territory’s rural spaces, and in helping to train Canberra’s volunteer firefighters to best serve our local, national, and international communities. At the ACTVBA, our mission includes helping our brigades and our volunteer firefighters protect, serve, and educate, their local communities through advocating for member education, well-being, safety, and recognition, by providing other support services, and by contributing to policy and legislative reform.

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Each of our member ACTRFS brigades have their own Constitutions/Rules and their capacity to accept new members changes from time to time. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer rural firefighter with the ACTRFS, please contact the ACTRFS Membership Support Officer on (02) 6207 9991 or email RFS@act.gov.au for information on how to apply.

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Gungahlin

Gungahlin ACTRFS Brigade

The Gungahlin Brigade of the ACTRFS operates out of the Gungahlin Joint Emergency Services Complex (JESC) in northern Canberra. The JESC is a modern multi-user facility shared with the Australian Federal Police, ACT Fire & Rescue and the ACT State Emergency Service. Gungahlin is home to more than 40,000 Canberrans and the brigade’s more than 50 volunteer firefighters are responsible for protecting the north and north-eastern approaches to the ACT.

Key People

Brigade President - Simon Butt

Brigade Captain - Les Jordan

ACT VBA Representatives - Paul Murphy

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Hall

Hall ACTRFS Brigade

The Hall Volunteer Rural Fire brigade is located on Loftus street, Hall. The brigade is a community service aimed at protecting the community of Hall and surrounding areas from bushfires. The brigade was first established in the summer of 1943-44 and existed through to the late 1960s before reforming in 1979 in response to a significant fire event in the Hall district. The Brigade is heavily involved in the local community and is proud of its work in the local community, across the ACT and in the wider region.

Key People

Brigade President - Mike Ware

Brigade Captain - Tony Hazelton

ACT VBA Representatives - Gary Johnston

Email: hallfirebrigade@gmail.com

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Molonglo

Molonglo ACTRFS Brigade

The Molonglo ACT Rural Fire Service Brigade is a family-oriented, intergenerational brigade which is committed to diversity. We have a number of parent/child firefighters and our members range from the young to the young at heart, but they all share a common passion for helping the community. Molonglo’s firefighters are drawn from the ranks of tradies, uni students, public servants, Australian Defence Force members (serving and retired), small business owners, lawyers, project managers and other business professionals. The Molonglo Brigade was established in 1997 and is located in the Canberra suburb of Holt.

Key People

Brigade President - Will Refshauge

Immediate Past President - Dave Tunbridge

Vice President - Charlotte Adams

Brigade Captain - Tony Greep

Senior Deputy Captains - Malcolm Dick

Deputy Captain - Jessica Playford, Brooke Turner, Malcolm Dick, Cameron Crombie, Kane Goodwin-Shaw

Training Officer - Malcolm Dick

Treasurer - Richard Handley

Secretary - Deb Moger

Equipment Officer - Dave Tunbridge

Community Engagement Officer - Daniel Quinn

WHS Officer - Ken Taylor (2 year term)

Brigade Information Officer - Deborah Moger

VBA Representatives - Allison Ballard, Pourus Bharucha, Jessica Playford

RAFT Coordinator - Ashish Madan

Email - molongloinfo@gmail.com

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Rivers

Rivers ACTRFS Brigade

The Rivers ACTRFS Brigade is located on the Cotter Road, approximately 1 kilometre past the turn-off to the Mount Stromlo Observatory. The Rivers Brigade is co-located with an ACT State Emergency Services Unit. The Rivers Brigade looks after the Weston Creek community and operates out to the ACT border through the Brindabella Mountain's. The Brigade is actively involved with the local community and supports community activities by attending school fetes, helping Greening Australia with their tree planting program, raising community awareness about bushfires and is engaged in many other community events.

Key People

Brigade President - Matt Dutkiewicz

Immediate Past President - Martin Harris

Brigade Captain - Sean Blunt

Brigade Deputy Captains - Martin Greenwood

ACT VBA Representatives - Mark Zorzi, Michaela Gillard

Email - riversactrfs@gmail.com

Social media - https://www.facebook.com/RiversRFS/

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Southern

Southern ACTRFS Brigade

The Southern ACTRFS brigade is based at Tharwa, is mall rural township, 35 kilometres south of Canberra city. It is a volunteer bushfire brigade with a distinctly country atmosphere. Southern brigade offers a rural base with closeness to the city and the brigade is made up of landholders/farm-workers as well as keen volunteers from Canberra. Southern has a strong practical focus and a strong sense of team. It protects the southern area of the ACT, from Lanyon to the NSW border.

Key People

Brigade President - Stephen Angus

Brigade Captain - David Pennock

ACT VBA Representative -Andrew Heron

Email -