VALE KEITH MASON

Our much-loved and long-serving Comms Officer Keith Mason passed away this morning. He was an amazing and wonderful man with a cheeky sense of humour. He was also a mentor to numerous new members of the Brigade over many years. Keith Lived on Spencer Road at the time of Ash Wednesday in 1983 and came down to the fire station two days after with a neighbour to see how the radios worked – he joined the Brigade just a few weeks later. In 1986, he became Communications Officer of the Rural Brigade, at the time there was no Comms Officer in the Urban Brigade. When the two merged the following year, he became the Brigade’s official Comms Officer. Prior to VicFire taking over, Keith ran all jobs from the Woodend Fire Station, running all of the radios – just like the modern ICC.

In 2011, he was awarded the National Medal, in 2015 the National Emergency Medal, in 2017 he was awarded Life Membership of the Woodend CFA and in 2023 his 40 Year Medal with the CFA. In 2024, he stepped down as Comms Officer after an amazing 38 years in this very important role. Unfortunately, recent ill health kept Keith away from his much-loved Woodend CFA. We will all miss him greatly.