Tireless volunteer Russell Graham has been a member of the Victorian State Emergency Services Ararat Unit for more than 40 years.
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In this time, he has seen the unit undergo significant changes, some of which he has helped instigate.
Mr Graham said today, the unit is almost unrecognisable from when he joined.
"It was very much in its infancy," he said.
"It's a completely different set-up now. We used to have a lot of ex-army boots and the uniforms were the navy belt-buckled overalls with the buttons.
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"Moneywise, we struggled with everything. There's certainly been a massive improvement with funding. Most of it was fundraising; if you had a piece of equipment that had to be sourced, you'd have to go out to the service clubs to get donations, so the equipment was basically community-funded. Nowadays, there's a massive improvement with government support.
"Things have changed immensely from back then."
Mr Graham was unit controller when the unit relocated from its original premise on Queens Avenue to the one it currently inhabits on High Street.
Underlining the added financial support now available to the SES, the impending $240,000 upgrade on the High Street base will be entirely government-funded ($220,000 from the state government and $20,000 from Ararat Rural City Council).
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Yet Mr Graham said the community has long recognised the importance of the unit.
"I was involved in 1986 when we had the original jaws (of life) appeal in town," he said.
"We were aiming for about $15,000. The jaws were roughly $10,000, and we needed a new trailer to carry the equipment.
"The fundraising went so well that we were actually able to purchase a cab-chassis truck. We refurbished that after hours at Gason's and built the body on the back. It would have been one of the first purpose-built emergency vehicles in Victoria's State Emergency Services."
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Another encouraging change Mr Graham has observed in his time with the unit is reducing road accidents.
He said it was not abnormal for them to attend 50 accidents a year in the eighties, whereas as it is now closer to 10.
In addition to car accidents, the Ararat unit helps with requests for flooding, building damage, search and rescues, downed trees, and more.
Mr Graham said he considered himself fortunate to serve the community by helping deal with these issues.
"It's a good insight into what happens in the community. At times you start to realise how lucky you are to be able to support people in their time of need," he said.
"The best thing is working with a diverse range of people. It's great being able to pass on training and see our members develop."
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