| Motel
Gesture to Families of Fire Victims Sunraysia Daily – Monday, December 7, 1998 |
| A MILDURA motel (Seventh Street Motel) is offering
two free night's accommodation for the families of five Geelong Country Fire Authority
volunteers who died while fighting a fire at Linton near Ballarat late last Wednesday. Motelier Mike Prowse and his wife Patricia said yesterday that the purpose was to allow the families "a bit of space and a bit of time away from it all". The offer was made through the Region 7 Headquarters in Geelong, which is setting up an 1800 number for donations to assist the families of the victims. "This is a way we can give back to the volunteers that are so essential in all communities," Mr Prowse said. "They are the unsung heroes and every time they go out there is a risk. "They do it because of their community spirit but they never think that there might be an ultimate price." Mr Prowse said that every time a volunteer was badly injured or died at a fire, personal memories came flooding back. They nearly lost their son Anthony about 10 years ago. "Anthony's unit, part of the South Australian Country Fire Service, responded to what turned out to be a hoax call in the Adelaide Hills. "On the way to the scene, the truck hit a tree and Anthony was thrown out. "The paramedics brought him back but he was in bad shape and he still suffers from the injuries. "My wife was monitoring the radio and heard that Tony Prowse of the Morphettville Brigade was down. "But it was some time before we could find out how he was. "He had two broken shoulder blades and lower back injuries and it took him a long time to recover. "Now he is 32, a lieutenant in the CFS and still fighting fires." |