As South Australians, we learn from an early age that we live in the driest state in the driest continent. Every summer as the days get hotter, we obey fire bans and listen for the bushfire warnings.
Leading up to and during the bushfire season our SACFS volunteers, undertake rigorous training and are on call 24/7, 365 days of the year, ready to join their SACFS brigade and protect life, property and our community at times of great danger.
Throughout the rest of the year, they remain in a state of readiness to attend building and motor vehicle fires, road crash rescues and chemical spills. This area of their volunteering sees them attend over 2,000 car accidents annually, which is the larger part of their community service.
Country Fire Service (CFS) Foundation Inc. was incorporated on 22 November 2001, with a Deed creating the Country Fire Service Foundation. The CFS Foundation has DGR1 status.
The sole beneficiary of our work is the 13,500+ South Australian CFS volunteers located within every community of this state. Located at 425 brigades within SA communities, each volunteer makes an average weekly commitment of 20 hours.
The CFS Foundation provides financial assistance when a CFS volunteer is injured or killed as a result of protecting our communities and develops initiatives that support the SACFS’s continued activities.
As support of SACFS volunteers cannot be fully met, the CFS Foundation, with the public’s generous assistance, recognises and helps our volunteers in times of great need.
The CFS Foundation does not receive any government assistance.
The CFS FOUNDATION has provided financial support to CFS volunteers who have lost their own properties whilst fighting bushfires.
BUSHFIRE SEASON 2019-2020
Kangaroo Island
53 x CFS volunteers assisted – Total support $2,055,000
Cudlee Creek, Adelaide Hills
17 x CFS volunteers assisted – Total support - $490,000
Keilira, South East
5 x CFS volunteers assisted – Total support - $160,000
BUSHFIRE SEASON 2020-2021
Lucindale & Blackford, South East
13 x CFS volunteers assisted – Total support - $310,000
Cherry Gardens & others, Adelaide Hills
6 x CFS volunteers assisted – Total support - $50,000
BUSHFIRE SEASON 2021-22
Coles, South East
1 x CFS volunteer fatality
1 x CFS volunteer seriously injured