18 November 2024
HMAS Cerberus personnel teamed up with the Hastings Fire Brigade for a family open day in October, connecting with hundreds of locals and highlighting Navy roles within the community.
Cerberus rolled out its Navy Community Engagement (NCE) team to support the event at the Hastings fire station, located just 5km from the base.
The fire brigade requested the NCE team after several volunteers, who also serve at Cerberus, suggested it would be an exciting collaboration.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) brigades run annual open days to engage with their local community and promote fire safety, and Western Port brigades often support the Cerberus open day.
The NCE program, designed to improve general awareness of the Navy, allows residents to meet personnel, hear about their experiences and view Navy equipment up close.
The Cerberus NCE team comprised six volunteers from faculties including the Technical Training Facility and Defence Force School of Signals.
'It’s powerful for a young person to see someone like them serving, perhaps a female in a leadership role.'
The group was led by Petty Officer Kathleen van Sebille, who said it was great to engage with locals.
“So much of what we do in Navy is out of sight of people at home, and sometimes people even think Navy is a branch of the Army, so it’s really important that we take every opportunity to develop understanding of who we are and what we do,” Petty Officer van Sebille said.
“It’s powerful for a young person to see someone like them serving, perhaps a female in a leadership role, and for our members to be able to pass on contemporary experiences of training and job roles.”
Midshipman Matthew Tubman, in charge of the team’s virtual reality activity, spoke about the evolution of the NCE approach and the relationship with the fire brigade.
“Recently, momentum has increased to drive community engagement through local commands, giving them the flexibility to connect to their individual communities in the best way possible,” Midshipman Tubman said.
“Both Navy and CFA are integral parts of the Western Port community. With sailors and officers volunteering in the brigade, it seemed natural to come together and deepen our connection to community.”
The Navy’s Anchorage also supported the family day with the Cerberus ‘RAS’ van. Led by manager Debbie Williams, the team provided hot food, coffees, cold drinks and merchandise to attendees.
“It’s been fantastic to engage with the community today,” Ms Williams said.
“We try to support as many community events with Navy as possible, and these are great opportunities to raise funds that go back to Navy people ashore and on ships.”
