Driver Reviver - if we can save one life then we are a success
The Driver Reviver van is the flagship for the Lake Grace Roadwise group. It is manned entirely by volunteers and is brought out for:
A BRIEF HISTORY......
Initially the driver reviver was run by the police using their own resources with the assistance of a few volunteers until a grant application was put in in 2002 for a standalone facility. The initial van was an old caravan that was refitted through local sponsorship (Stevemacs). Lake Grace’s Volunteer Fire Brigade and Lake Grace Lions took on the task of staffing the van while Roadwise managed the supplies and any publicity.
In 2009 Lake Grace Roadwise were successful in securing $12,600 funding from WALGA for investing in a new Driver Reviver van. The old van had done the job but volunteers were convinced that one day it would fall to bits either on its way to being stationed or on the way back to the Fire Station.
The Roadwise committee had nothing concrete in the pipeline, but had based their funding application on the dearest quote they had received for a van. Although lake Grace's Fire Brigade Captain Ray Bird had relocated to Perth, the Driver Reviver van still remained an important item on his agenda. Ray said that he became a nuisance at caravan yards as he searched for he perfect second hand van for Lake Grace.
Wanneroo Council were upgrading their van and were looking for a buyer for their old one, this became the perfect solution to lake Grace's problem until Wanneroo admitted they hadn't even commissioned the building of the new van;' so would be needing their old one for another 12 months. At this stage WALGA were showing an interest in progress reports for Lake Grace's new Driver Reviver van; Roadwise representative Suzanne Reeves had to confess that they hadn't progressed very far....that Lake Grace were in fact still in the planning stages.
Thankfully men like to make stuff. The local Fire and Rescue volunteers, who have always played a big part in manning the driver reviver, decided they could make a van. They would be able to deconstruct the old van, make a new cabin whish would be purposed built to our needs and go from there. The first hiccup was that the only thing worth using off the old van was the tyres. Project Manager, Reid Stubberfield, with the support of other volunteers from Lake Grace Fire and Rescue brought this project to fruition; Roadwise could now let their funding body know that the project was well past the planning stages.
With building starting in October 2010, the van (with temporary signage) made it’s first outing for the Easter / ANZAC weekend in 2011 and was a big hit with the travellers. By this stage Lake Grace Ambulance and more community members had put their hand up to help staff the van.
Well over 200 motorists used the van over the Easter long weekend, numbers far higher than had been recorded in previous outings. Volunteers are able to inform motorists of where they can get food or fuel, direct them toward the toilets or simply have a chat.
Volunteers of the Driver Reviver would rather give up two hours of their time to do a shift on the van making coffee and small talk in preference to attending an accident.
- Easter
- Queen's Birthday Long weekend
- Christmas
- Lake Grace Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service (built the van, house the van, provide volunteers and set up for each outing)
- Lake Grace Community Resource Centre (provide coffee and milk and make sure all other supplies are adequate, coordinate the volunteers and submit reports to Roadwise in Perth)
- Shire of Lake Grace (provide a venue and cover cost of any electricity used)
- St John Ambulance Lake Grace (provide volunteers)
- Lions Club Lake Grace (provide volunteers)
A BRIEF HISTORY......
Initially the driver reviver was run by the police using their own resources with the assistance of a few volunteers until a grant application was put in in 2002 for a standalone facility. The initial van was an old caravan that was refitted through local sponsorship (Stevemacs). Lake Grace’s Volunteer Fire Brigade and Lake Grace Lions took on the task of staffing the van while Roadwise managed the supplies and any publicity.
In 2009 Lake Grace Roadwise were successful in securing $12,600 funding from WALGA for investing in a new Driver Reviver van. The old van had done the job but volunteers were convinced that one day it would fall to bits either on its way to being stationed or on the way back to the Fire Station.
The Roadwise committee had nothing concrete in the pipeline, but had based their funding application on the dearest quote they had received for a van. Although lake Grace's Fire Brigade Captain Ray Bird had relocated to Perth, the Driver Reviver van still remained an important item on his agenda. Ray said that he became a nuisance at caravan yards as he searched for he perfect second hand van for Lake Grace.
Wanneroo Council were upgrading their van and were looking for a buyer for their old one, this became the perfect solution to lake Grace's problem until Wanneroo admitted they hadn't even commissioned the building of the new van;' so would be needing their old one for another 12 months. At this stage WALGA were showing an interest in progress reports for Lake Grace's new Driver Reviver van; Roadwise representative Suzanne Reeves had to confess that they hadn't progressed very far....that Lake Grace were in fact still in the planning stages.
Thankfully men like to make stuff. The local Fire and Rescue volunteers, who have always played a big part in manning the driver reviver, decided they could make a van. They would be able to deconstruct the old van, make a new cabin whish would be purposed built to our needs and go from there. The first hiccup was that the only thing worth using off the old van was the tyres. Project Manager, Reid Stubberfield, with the support of other volunteers from Lake Grace Fire and Rescue brought this project to fruition; Roadwise could now let their funding body know that the project was well past the planning stages.
With building starting in October 2010, the van (with temporary signage) made it’s first outing for the Easter / ANZAC weekend in 2011 and was a big hit with the travellers. By this stage Lake Grace Ambulance and more community members had put their hand up to help staff the van.
Well over 200 motorists used the van over the Easter long weekend, numbers far higher than had been recorded in previous outings. Volunteers are able to inform motorists of where they can get food or fuel, direct them toward the toilets or simply have a chat.
Volunteers of the Driver Reviver would rather give up two hours of their time to do a shift on the van making coffee and small talk in preference to attending an accident.
