Councillor: We’re not second-class citizens and we don’t want your second-hand trucks

A fed up regional council has raised the alarm saying its MFS station is left to battle fires with hand-me-down trucks – including two with a combined 44 years of service.

Mount Gambier Council had dialled Triple-0, the emergency is a Metropolitan Fire Service station full of trucks well past retirement age.

At Tuesday night’s meeting the council voted to write to Emergency Services Minster Vincent Tarzia and Premier Steven Marshall urgently seeking a solution to the city’s aged resources including two trucks with a combined 44 years of service.

Cr Paul Jenner said at a meeting with MFS and SAFECOME in January 2020 he and Mayor Lynette Martyn were asked to keep their demands for new appliances quiet in council meetings and write to them instead.

Mount Gambier councillor Paul Jenner is fed up with the MFS treating the city as second class citizens with second-hand trucks. Picture: Jessica Ball

“We listened, we’ve waited and we’ve waited,” Cr Jenner told the chamber.

The councillor said he had received information from a “whistleblower” that the MFS had no plan to provide new units to regional stations.

He did not believe it to be political but an internal issue “in the upper echelon of the organisation” referring to an investigation into two senior members caught on tape appearing to plan to delay fire truck purchases.

“I’m led to believe from this source that there is a plan for changing over trucks, and guess what, that plan only includes metro trucks,” he said.

“I’m led to believe that eight new trucks were ordered, I’m led to believe four of them are probably sitting in Adelaide now.”

And he is demanding to see Mount Gambier written on the side of one of those trucks.

It’s not the first time Cr Jenner has represented the council asking for firefighting resources, telling the meeting 22 years ago it was a fight to get the Volvo – the city’s number one appliance which was “riddled with problems” and is current getting repaired.

He said a “very old” Scania was sent in its place with a crack rendering it useless and once fixed “blew up the pump” before it was written off.

“It should have never come to Mount Gambier, why are we second class citizens?” he said.

“Then to replace that truck, they sent us a 22 year old Scania.

“Seaford’s 11 year old truck is now getting checked out to be sent down here.

“Why should we accept that?”

Cr Jenner said the unanswered letters were made more frustrated when four units were unveiled earlier this year including one for Mount Barker and questioned how the Hills city with a major Country Fire Service presence received a heavy urban pump rescue appliance.

“They didn’t get an old vehicle, they got a brand new one,” he said.

“Why is Mount Gambier completely misunderstood and we keep on getting second hand stuff?”

Cr Jenner also raised staffing issues, telling the meeting two additional officers were needed to raise levels to that of Port Pirie which he described as a much smaller community.

Cr Steven Perryman was a retained member of the Mount Gambier MFS when the 22 year old Volvo arrived and said prior the trucks were around three decades old.

Mount Gambier council Steven Perryman. Picture: Louise Agnew Photography

“It’s been a constant issue for the Mount Camber community and Mount Gambier fire station,” he said.

“Mount Gambier station responds to more call out per year than a number of the Metropolitan stations.

“The reality is in Adelaide when there is a situation that requires backup, MFS get backup from professional, trained, full-time firefighters from another station, we don’t get that in Mount Gambier.

“Mount Gambier MFS rely on CFS volunteers for backup.”

A MFS spokesperson said the station received a new, $1.3 million Combination Aerial Pumping Appliance in 2016 and a repurposed truck in-line with its policy to progressively rotate units through the fleet to maximise their lives, was on the way.

“It is anticipated that Mount Gambier MFS will receive a newly refurbished fire appliance with an increased water capacity to 3000 litres, enhancing firefighting safety,” the spokesperson said.

“This appliance was installed in May 2010 (previously at Seaford Station), and is expected to be in service at Mount Gambier prior to the 2021 bushfire season.

“MFS appliances are given a midlife refurbishment / rebuild which extends their operational response life significantly and therefore the value to the South Australian community.

“The MFS is continually reviewing its current appliance fleet to ensure firefighters can respond to an incident in an effective, safe and timely manner.”

A total of 23 new fire appliances are scheduled to roll out across the state over the next four years with the spokesperson saying eight had been ordered with four heavy urban general pumpers to arrive in 2021.