The Mount Compass community has thrown its weight behind suspended Country Fire Service Captain Anthony Baker.

The Mount Compass Community Association met for the first time last Thursday and issued a statement saying, “If ever there was a time to support a local Mount Compass resident, the time is now”.

The Association also launched a petition calling for Emergency Services Minister Vincent Tarzia and CFS  Volunteer Association President, Andy Wood, to immediately overturn Anthony’s suspension and re-instate him as Mount Compass CFS Captain.

The Association says it is “outrageous” that the CFS has treated such a committed volunteer “with such disregard”.

Captain Baker has been a CFS volunteer for eight years. He was also awarded the Citizen of the Year award for Mount Compass in 2020 for this work and in helping to set up a local skate park.

Captain Baker was suspended earlier this month after speaking out about the brigade’s new $500 000 34P truck which was unable to be used at full capacity, as it was too heavy to be registered for use South Australian roads. 

The truck was recalled, leaving the brigade with a single truck. Captain Baker went public with his concerns about the safety issues, saying he had tried repeatedly to get information from CFS management.

The truck has now received permission to operate at full weight and has been returned to Mount Compass but Captain Baker has since been suspended.

The committee says, “The CFS only functions thanks to the tireless efforts of volunteers like Anthony Baker, and we the community can’t afford to lose someone with his level of experience and dedication simply because he had the courage to speak up on our behalf.”

The petition can be found at change.org