State-of-the-art VICSES Aintree Unit officially unveiled for community

Volunteers of the brand-new Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) Aintree Unit in Melbourne’s west will be well-placed to provide vital, timely support to their community into the future, following the official unveiling of their unit and modern headquarters this week.

The unit’s inaugural volunteer cohort joined Unit Controller Micah Spedding, VICSES staff and Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch in unveiling the plaque on the brand-new unit headquarters on 11 December, one of four new VICSES units officially opened in the past week to support growth areas across greater metropolitan Melbourne.

SES volunteer Alex Setterfield was in attendance at the opening and has become a familiar face at a range of VICSES Aintree Unit initiatives and emergency responses, after first attending a VICSES information evening last year with a desire to give back to his local community.

Supporting the community alongside his wife Tanya, Alex has already attended more than 40 requests for assistance (RFAs) since the unit came online in August, and was kept particularly busy when storms battered the local area in October.

Undertaking a wide range of training so far in his VICSES journey, Alex is now an accredited chainsaw operator and has the capacity to safely drive the unit’s rescue vehicles when a code 1 lights and sirens response is required, and also manages local media opportunities and community engagement.

As parents of two young children who can regularly be seen donning fluorescent orange at VICSES events, Alex and Tanya often treat the unit’s weekly training evenings as a makeshift ‘date night’, setting aside time each week to engage in training alongside their extended family of VICSES volunteers.

Serving a locality expected to grow by more than 50 per cent before 2031, the state-of-the-art VICSES Aintree Unit offers a modern training and emergency turnout facility for volunteers, allowing them to effectively respond to storms, floods and rescues in the local area and provide support to other first responders where required.

The unit headquarters boasts six drive-through motor bays which provide ample room for future fleet expansion, while a modern kitchen, training room, office space and amenities are also included.

At capacity, the facility can cater to up to 70 volunteers, and also features solar panels, a backup generator and wheelchair access.   

Since becoming operational earlier this year, VICSES Aintree Unit volunteers have been called to attend more than 170 RFAs, many alongside the neighbouring VICSES Melton Unit, more than 70 of which have related to building damage.

Quotes attributable to Alex Setterfield, VICSES Aintree Unit volunteer:

“VICSES Aintree Unit is filled with local people driven to give back to their community in any capacity they can, and this state-of-the-art headquarters will allow us to train and be the best we can be into the future.

“VICSES has been been incredibly welcoming to myself and my family, and I look forward to working closely with my extended VICSES family to support community members in their time of need.”

Quotes attributable to Simon White, VICSES Deputy Chief Officer Service Delivery (Western):

“This unit and fit-for-purpose facility is a valuable addition to VICSES’ service offerings in the west of the state and will be well-placed to cater to continued population growth in the local area.

“Our volunteers play a vital role in responding to critical emergencies in their local communities, and I’m excited to see this brand-new cohort build an important emergency presence in the City of Melton and beyond.”