Australian Fire Services Medal recipient Bruce Vine a true Aussie hero

Written by By ALEX BAIRD.

TAWONGA’S Bruce Vine has received the Australian Fire Services Medal, an award which since 1988 has recognised distinguished service by members of Australian Fire Services, both paid and volunteer.

He became only the third fireman to be honored with the award in the greater region.

Mr Vine began his involvement with the CFA at the age of 8, when he used to fill the knapsacks of the Lake Boga firefighters with water during training.

"After I had spilled water down their backs I was lifted up and put on the back of a fire truck, and I was hooked," he said.

While he was still a university student he answered his first call out to the 1962 fires in the Dandenong Ranges.

After purchasing a property in Tawonga in the early 1970s, Mr Vine attended a meeting of the Tawonga Fire Brigade.

"It turned out to be the annual general meeting and I was signed up as a member then promptly voted in as secretary," Mr Vine said.

Since then Mr Vine has continued to be an active member of the brigade, a total of 39 years.

Tawonga was Mr Vine’s first and only brigade, and he still turns out regularly as a member of the crew, and was active in fighting the 2002/3, 2006/7 and the 2009 fires.

For 14 years Mr Vine has been a member of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria, the association concerned with the welfare of 58,000 CFA volunteers.

He was recently presented with a life membership after serving 10 years on the board, eight of which were as vice-president.

Mr Vine said he felt very humble to have been considered for the prestigious award.

" Particularly as only two Australia Fire Service Medals have previously been awarded in District 24(based in Wodonga) to two firemen that I have great respect for: Ed Baynes from Indigo Valley Brigade in 1988 and Denys Steinhauser from the Kiewa Brigade in 2005," he said.

Mr Vine’s citation for the award reads: "(Mr Vine’s) outstanding contribution has been above and beyond the expected duty and obligations of a CFA member.