SA Country Fire Service Promotions Unit - History Section
Promoting the Historical foundations of the Service

Concordia Brigade - 1954 to Present

On the 14th January 1954, a meeting was called at the home of Mr. Raymond Teusner to form the ‘Concordia District Communal Fire Unit'.

The reason for calling the meeting was due to the growing concern in the district about fire protection, as tractors were becoming more common and the harvesting of crops more prevalent then, as opposed to the cutting of crops for hay. Also several fires had been started by the steam train that travelled to the Barossa and back every day – there was once three fires in one week! The steep incline from the S-bend just east of Sandy Creek required more steam (coal fired) for more power, hence increasing the risk of fires.

According to Mr. Ray Teusner in an excerpt from his speech he wrote in 2004 “...it was agreed whole heartedly that this meeting to purchase a Rex4M fire engine pump (which had been recommended to us) and a 400 gallon steel water tank. In due course the tank and engine were set in a cradle and set in scaffolding, which could be raised and lowered onto a truck. The mobility of this unit, however, depended entirely on the availability of someone's' truck to load on to. We registered as the ‘Concordia District Communal Fire Unit', and attended many emergency calls for the next 11 years, until it was decided to upgrade to the ‘Emergency Fire Service (EFS).” This was done at a meeting on 29th January 1965 at the home of Mr Raymond Teusner.

The first truck purchased by the ‘Concordia EFS Brigade' was a 1950 3 ton Ford Thames, from the Bridgewater CFS Inc., engine no. BB 187242, registration SA 107583, for £100, on the 29th September 1965.

Concordia EFS purchased a 1958 Austin Series III tray top truck, engine no. 382955, Registration no. RKN-021 on 7th July 1970.

On 23rd July 1980, the Brigade was supplied by Barossa Council with a 1973 International D1310 4WD petrol motor truck, registration no. SPM-106. It had a 300 gallon tank and a Gaam MK 200 pump with a Briggs & Stratton 16 hp motor.

The original station of the Concordia EFS was built in 1966, on the property of Mr Raymond Teusner, Kalbeeba Rd , Concordia. This shed was extended in 1987. In 1992 the doors were altered to be swung open, so as to be able to fit the new Hino 34 appliance.

Construction of the new Concordia station began in May 1994 and was officially opened on 10th September 1994.

This information has been sourced from the Brigade website at this address

Brigade Stations

1994 to Present - 486 Barossa Valley Way, Kalbeeba
Photographer, CFS Promotions Unit - Jan 2011
Google Map reference - Longitude 138.799458 Latitude -34.602119

Captains

Life Members