General News
12 October, 2026
CFA training surge
Enhanced social media engagement, an inclusive culture, and live-fire simulations are driving an unprecedented influx of volunteers in western Victoria.
More than 260 people have trained at the CFA's Longerenong Training Campus since the start of August, more than double the number for the same period last year.
The campus, on the Longerenong College grounds, is the only CFA training campus in far west Victoria.
Longerenong Training Campus Practical Area Drill operator Brendan Moylan said the increase was encouraging.
“It’s great to see more people coming through, and we want to keep that momentum going,” Mr Moylan said.
"We've actually got a really good culture going here where students feel comfortable to come along."
The faces coming through the gates are changing too.
"I reckon it's probably 60/40, female-dominant," he said.
Many trainees are in their 20s and 30s, which is a big deal for an organisation with an older membership.
"We're getting a lot of younger people through as well, especially for the age demographic of CFA, which is quite high," he said.
The site is set up like a small town of emergencies.
A mock service station has a car and a bowser that can be set alight.
An aeroplane stands in for a crash or chemical spill, and a vehicle simulates motor vehicle accidents.
A header is on site for simulated harvester fires and a house for search and rescue simulations.
Local brigades are limited in what they can practise at their own stations because they can't use live fire.
"At this campus, we provide all the live fire scenarios," said Mr Moylan.
“The more opportunities our members have to practise their skills in a realistic and controlled
environment, the better prepared they are when they’re called on in the community.”
Fellow operator Matthew Walsh said crews can train with real fire and smoke inside the house.
"They can see the thermal layering of the smoke and then do the search and rescue technique,” he said.
The campus also fills breathing apparatus cylinders, as many volunteer stations don't have the capacity to refill them.
The campus is not just a CFA facility either, with Forest Fire Management Victoria, Ambulance Victoria, Corrections Victoria, and Victoria Police utilise the site.
CFA is encouraging brigades that have not recently trained at Longerenong, or have never used the campus, to explore the opportunities available via cfa.vic.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/cfa-training-campuses.