Chainsaw stolen from Port Phillip SES unit

Just hours before a Port Phillip SES volunteer was due to help bushfire-ravaged communities at Omeo and Mallacoota, his vehicle was broken into and vital equipment stolen.

This Port Phillip SES vehicle was broken into and a chainsaw was stolen from it, hours before it was due to be used in the Victorian bushfires.

Gutless thieves have crow barred themselves onto the wrong side of the law, robbing an SES unit of its chainsaw hours before it was to be used in helping bushfire affected regions.

One of the members of the Port Phillip unit had taken home an SES four wheel drive truck which he was going to drive to Omeo and Mallacoota the following day.

Unit controller Jim Kokkalos said the vehicle was parked on Nott St in Port Melbourne on January 28 when the thieves broke in.

“We had a break into one of the cars many years ago, about 15 years ago, and one of the members’ kit was taken out, but nothing since,” Mr Kokkalos said.

Emergency service vehicles at the school oval in Cann River, with the burning fire in the distance.

“One of our members, who was due to head up to the bushfires the next morning, took the car home to save time.

“It was on the street and had the rear cabinet broken into and a chainsaw was stolen.

“It is very disappointing that someone would break into an emergency vehicle to steal.”

Visibility in the fire at Cann River.

Constant ash falling on the SES vehicle.

Mr Kokkalos said the main disappointment was the inconvenience it caused.

“It’s insured and we have a spare one but now we have to replace it, which is just an inconvenience,” he said.

The unit, which has about 25-30 members, has been helping at bushfire ravaged areas for the last couple of months.

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Members have been assisting as ground support crew, helping move equipment and welfare around and setting up base camps.

“Having things like chainsaws is vital to what we are doing up there,” Mr Kokkalos said.

“Also, just our general day-to-day operations here, it’s such an important bit of equipment.

“This equipment is used to assist the community by volunteers that make themselves available 24/7 in the event of an emergency.”

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