Fireman Mick’s victory

Pakenham fire-fighter Mick Page. 166553_02 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

By Bonny Burrows

It is said victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat – and for Pakenham fireman Mick Page, that couldn’t be more true.
A volunteer with Pakenham Fire Brigade for 22 years, Mick was part of the station’s running team who were named ‘C’ class winners at last month’s state urban championships.
The championships were held in Bendigo over the March Labour Day weekend and saw firefighters tested in basic firefighting skills against the clock.
Training twice a week since October, the Pakenham team was victorious, placing in eight of its 13 events.
Of those it won five – the ladder fives, class fours, 4Y, two-man marshall and pumper five in which they smashed a previous record, leading to the overall victory.
The ‘C’ class win was the first for Mick, who has been competing since the beginning of his CFA career.
Mick competed in a number of the events but said his favourite was the pumper event, which involved using the firetruck to squirt water at a target from a distance.
“We’ve broken the record a couple of times but we’ve never won the state (championships until now),” Mick said.
At 54 years old Mick said it was rare for a fire-fighter to be competing in such events, and even rarer to win.
But despite the momentous occasion, ever-humble Mick said he managed to keep his emotions in check.
“It’s a tradition that’s been going on for 130-plus years, so there was a lot of excitement and tears,” Mick said of the victory.
“However, not from me just the other guys, they work so hard throughout the year and really deserved the recognition.”