All fired up: Graham Lay on the job earlier this year after a suspicious fire at Barwon Heads.
ERIN PEARSON
HE’S helped fight some of Geelong’s most horrific fires.
Now Geelong fireman Graham Lay is preparing to work alongside Victoria Police in a program tracking blaze patterns and preventing deadly arson attacks around the state.
Mr Lay, a CFA member for 27 years, said he would transfer skills developed in the Geelong region to his new statewide role.
The tracking program began as a three-month trial but would run again for six months, he said.
“I’m keen to be involved in any initiative that could reduce arson, so I was interested in this opportunity from day one,” he said.
“I’ll be working on patterns and trends and in investigative matters with detectives.
“It’s completely different to what I normally do, so it’s very refreshing to now be able to assist in a bigger way.”
Mr Lay said working on cases involving Geelong’s “fair share” of arsonists had given him knowledge to help prevent arson around Victoria.
After close to three decades in the red and yellow of firefighters’ uniforms, Mr Lay said he had found the job of his dreams.
“I was originally posted to Ballan before moving to Norlane and felt I’d always been destined to join the CFA as a career,” he said.
“My most memorable fire was on my first day in the job when Jackson’s Meatworks went up back in 1984. It was one of the biggest fires Geelong had ever seen.
“Now I’m sitting here in the arson squad working with police and people in community safety, training, volunteering and res-ponse.
“The CFA has come a very long way and it’s exciting to be a part of the new partnerships between different agencies.”
Mr Lay praised the “tireless” efforts of Geelong police in catching firebugs.
The Independent last month reported that Geelong police would crack down on arson offenders this summer as part of Operation Firesetter
Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Robson said every division of the force in Geelong would focus on “people of interest”.
