EFFORTS to protect house and home from fire are bringing communities together.
Mittagong resident and leader of the Leopold Street Community Fire Unit, Deborah White said fire safety efforts in her street had resulted in a closer neighbourhood.
Mrs White said she loved the location of her home, which backed onto the Nattai National Park, but was well aware it could be under threat from bushfire attack.
She said it was a circumstance driven home to many residents living near bushland during the February fires that destroyed several Victorian communities.
“I’ve lived in the Southern Highlands for almost 20 years and have lived in my current home on the fringe of bushland for the past 17 years,” she said.
“I love the bush, but have always been concerned about where I live and what I should do in the case of a fire.”
Mrs White said the answer came to her in a letterbox drop by the NSW Fire Brigade about a year ago.
She said she received a flyer from the brigade identifying the street in which she lived as “an area of bushfire concern”.
It also suggested the formation of a community-based group that saw residents trained in property protection and action in the event of bushfires.
Mrs White said she knew she needed to be a part of such a group and rallied her family to join forces with other residents in the formation of the Leopold Street Community Fire Unit.
The unit followed in the footsteps of two other similar community groups established at Sunset Point Drive, Mittagong, and at Willow Vale.
There are now six community fire units in the Southern Highlands with training and plans well underway for the formation of 10 other groups including several on Mount Gibraltar.
There are more than 100 residents involved in the units, taking part in regular training programs led by the NSW Fire Brigade, working with their neighbours to protect their properties from possible fire and ready to take action should a blaze occur.
And Mrs White can’t speak highly enough of the concept.
“The groups are made up of volunteers living on the urban fringe, between town and the bush, who are keen to know how to protect their property,” she said.
“We work closely with the NSW Fire Brigades as a community contact and we are given a fully equipped trailer and regular training to help prepare us in case of fire.
“The groups are also involved in hazard reduction burn-offs in the community.
“Ultimately these units are raising awareness in people about where they live and the possible dangers of fire.”
Mrs White said the units had given peace of mind to people living in or near bushland, but had also led to neighbourhood bonding.
“There was a time when I knew very few of my neighbours, but through regularly unit meetings I have become good friends with many people who live nearby,” she said.
“We have actually developed a type of neighbourhood watch where we look out for each other and each other’s property - we feed pets and collect mail when someone is away and we get together in social street events such as Christmas parties.
“We are fortunate that we have not yet had to put our new-found fire knowledge into action, but our community fire unit has made Leopold Street a safer place to live.
“And we have a fully functioning, ready-for-action unit should a fire occur.”
To learn more about community fire units in the Highlands or to form your own neighbourhood group go to the NSW Fire Brigades website www.fire.nsw.gov.au or head to the nearest fire station.