THANKS to Rio Tinto’s community giving program the West Swan Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade have been able to purchase rechargeable torches to assist in firefighting efforts.

Brigade captain Evyn Johnson said the brigade was  thrilled to have been able to purchase the rechargeable torches which have already assisted firefighters during recent incidents.

“Safety is paramount when we attend incidents, and the initiative will further enhance this for our members on the fireground.”

The brigade attends more than 150 fire calls every year, anywhere from the metro area to regional WA.

“A large number of these call outs occur in the middle of the night, in locations involving challenging terrain, both by vehicle and foot, and without the benefit of streetlights. Without sufficient lighting, the risk of twisted ankles, falling into holes/ditches and walking into fallen lines is high,” he said.

“Our appliances come equipped with standard torches that require regular battery replacement. Consequently, there are occasions where batteries are flat or emit only a low level of light.

“As the fires are usually in locations that cannot be reached by vehicles, having sufficient lighting to hand is essential for our volunteers’ safety as well as quickly getting to the job to extinguish the fire.”

The grant has enabled the West Swan brigade to purchase four rechargeable Fenix WF26R 3000 lumen torches with in-vehicle charging stations for firefighting appliances.