25 years of fire service recognised

For 25 years, Tony Foley has left work or family events at a moment's notice to help others.

As a member of Stratford's volunteer fire brigade, he has attended callouts ranging from large fires through to vehicle accidents, saving countless lives in the process.

On Saturday night, Tony's dedication to his voluntary job was acknowledged, as he was awarded a Gold Star recognising 25 years of service at a special ceremony at the Stratford War Memorial Hall.

To receive a Gold Star a firefighter must have attended two thirds of all their musters in their 25 years, United Fire Brigade Association representative Maurice (Moe) Kelly said.

"In the past 25 years, there have been 932 musters for the Stratford brigade, and Tony has attended 896 of them, that's 96 per cent."

Moe presented Tony with the Gold Star, describing it as "a great effort" to have attended so many musters.

Tony is the 36th member of the Stratford brigade to receive the medal, the 7482nd to be awarded across the country.

Pat Fitzell, the Western Region Fire representative and area manager, said the 25 years was "not just done by Tony, but by his family as well, who have supported him throughout".

He told the Stratford brigade members present they were in good hands under the leadership of Tony, chief fire officer of the brigade.

Mayor Neil Volzke, who was also part of the official party, had plenty of praise for the dedication and commitment of Tony and the rest of the brigade.

"I have said it many times before, Stratford is lucky to have such a great brigade."

Tony says he could not have done all that he had without the support of his family, especially his wife and daughters.

He also thanked his employers, Sandra and Peter Lewis, owners of the Stratford Testing Station.

"They have made such a huge commitment as well. I would hate to count up how many hours I have not been at work when I should have! We have a good team here in Stratford."

"There is no job or training course that will give you the life skills and experience the fire service gives you," Tony said.

In a second recognition of Tony's service to the brigade, he was also awarded life membership of the brigade, something he described as being "a really great honour".