Town turns out 2,000 sandbags in two hours

Town turns out 2,000 sandbags in two hours

17/11/2022, 8:49 AM

VICSES Yarrawonga Unit volunteers acted fast earlier this week, with calls for help coming in from several inundated properties in Bundalong, from around 6:30pm.

The VICSES volunteers were relieved to find that only one of the four homes initially thought to have been impacted, was inundated.

VICSES Tarrawonga Unit Controller, Jason Forbor, and his volunteer crew of six, established an Incident Control Point at Bundalong Community Hall, to prepare the town for flooding. 

With the assistance of a further three volunteers from VICSES Cobram Unit, and fifteen volunteers from CFA Yarrawonga, CFA Bundalong, and CFA Wilby, along with ten members of the community who answered a call to action, posted on the VICSES Yarrawonga Unit Facebook page.

The crews worked through to 11.30pm, filling 2,000 sandbags in just the first two hours, without the use of a sandbag filler.

Since the beginning of this flood event in October 2022, the VICSES Yarrawonga Unit has continued to provide emergency response to the local community, having received almost 200 Requests for Assistance in the last year, and over 60 in the last month. 

The quick-thinking of our volunteers, and the incredible response by the community, represents an ongoing effort to protect the town from the impact of floodwater.

Your local VICSES Unit offers a broad range of volunteer opportunities with full training provided. Each of our volunteers receives accredited, recognised training as part of their role, ranging from first aid, general rescue, chainsaw operations, community engagement, and much more.

If you would like to become a VICSES volunteer, visit www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us for more information. 

Quotes attributable to VICSES Yarrawonga Unit, Controller, Jason Forbor:

 “This is what our community is like; it rallies together. They are such tight-knit communities. Predicting where the water is going to get to is difficult but, with our support and assistance, they can be properly prepared.”