Toko brigade celebrates

The 13 members of the Toko Fire Station have a new place to hang their hats this week with the completion of their fire station.

The 52-year-old volunteer brigade, which works as an auxilliary to the Stratford Fire Brigade , had grown out of its old station, according to senior station officer Trevor Dent.

"The old station was too small and completely out of date." The brigade moved to the site on May 14, 1977.

Trevor says the site originally housed the first and only Catholic church for the Toko community. "It had a confessional and everything."

Trevor says it has been a "big job" constructing the new station which is on the same site as the previous one. The station has been under construction for the last five months and the brigade has been temporarily working out of a Portacom.

"It will be great for the team to have a bit more space."

Trevor says that while the project was driven by head office, "members of the brigade were able to have some input on the design of the building so that it would work for us". The station will double as a community facility and has a extensive courtyard, meeting room and kitchen facilities.