Rob Koch always the consummate professional – October 2025

VBFB Toodyay Central
Peter Brennan

IN AUGUST, shire brigade members were advised our CESM, Rob Koch had resigned from his position and taken up an opportunity with DFES in the Northam regional office.

We offer Rob our heartfelt gratitude for the 10 years of outstanding service he gave to the community as our CESM.

Rob joined the Toodyay Central VBFB in early 2009 and he served as a volunteer during the devastating December 29 fire in which crews worked tirelessly until January 26 to contain flare-ups.

Rob was a great asset to the brigade and cemented himself as a sound leader amongst our team.

In May 2015 Rob resigned from the brigade as a Lieutenant to take up his new appointment as the new Toodyay and Goomalling CESM.

He has much to be proud of for what he achieved over his 10 years in the position.

A natural leader and a true professional, Rob gave 100 percent of his energy to everything he did in the job.

He ensured Toodyay brigades were at the forefront of new equipment instalments.

We have a great range of personal protection equipment (PPE), lockers in our stations or separate clothing storage rooms to protect from diesel particulate contamination and three new fire stations in the shire.

Rob expanded our trainer assessor team and along with himself, increased the range of courses available to be delivered, including on road driver training.

He encouraged us to increase the number of volunteers qualified on chainsaws and for individuals to consider greater roles within the brigades.

Furthermore, he obtained highly relevant training aids for the courses we ran.

During his tenure, we have received new appliances, expanded radio set ups and significantly improved burnover protection equipment within cabs.

Rob also oversaw the instalment of a television screen in the appliance parking bays to monitor the BART communication systems updates during callouts.

Further, he oversaw the reorganisation of several fire emergency water tanks across the shire to more relevant locations, as well as the installation of new waters tanks to cover identified vulnerable areas.

Additionally, Rob championed the installation of water bores at a number of fire stations along with sufficient tanks to help improve appliance refill turnaround times in emergencies.

Rob encouraged us all to improve our professionalism by quietly guiding us all in that direction through both his own example and a quiet word here and there.

Leading from the front, Rob always developed and presented comprehensive and significant papers to the Bushfire Advisory Committee, including a recent complete rewrite of our standard operating procedures.

Finally, he along with both our CBFCO Craig Stewart and DCBFCO Nick Griggs, demonstrated how good leadership inspires others.

It has been an honour to work with Rob since I joined the Toodyay Central VBFB in 2013 and we all wish him the very best for the future.

I have no doubt that he will excel at anything he turns his hand to and trust that the depth of knowledge and experience he has built over his time as CESM will not go unnoticed.

All brigades now await the appointment of a new CESM and will throw their full support behind both Martin Aldridge who is filling the position during the transition and whoever takes up a permanent tenure.

As a last note, the prohibited ‘no burning’ season begins on 1 November so by then firebreaks should be in place and properties cleared up in preparation for the coming hot summer.

The shire does conduct inspections each year to assess compliance and penalties do apply for non-compliance.