Country Fire Authority in cancer timebomb claim at Fiskville

UPDATE 1.25pm: PREMIER Ted Baillieu today backed a full inquiry into the Fiskville CFA cancer fears, revealed by the Herald Sun.

Brian Potter

UPDATE 1.25pm: PREMIER Ted Baillieu today backed a full inquiry into the Fiskville CFA cancer fears, revealed by the Herald Sun.

"The Government takes this issue very, very seriously, and I know the CFA will do likewise," Mr Baillieu said.

"It’s my understanding that they haven’t previously had any notice of this, and this is now a matter that has to be investigated.

"We will take that seriously and ensure that investigation is carried out in full.

"I’ve visited Fiskville myself, I know the training centre and I know the commitment that CFA volunteers put in, and particularly those who do the extra training.

"This, I understand, is a matter of incidence which occurred some 25, 30 years ago. So it’s not necessarily an easy thing to investigate, but we need to take it very seriously and we will."

Former CFA families have also contacted the Herald Sun with stories about relatives that died in their 50s or suffered from debilitating cancers after living at the site.

They add to the nine people known to have died from cancers and other linked illnesses, and eight known to have suffered serious illness since working or living at Fiskville in the late 1970s and early '80s.

A Herald Sun investigation has found no one at the CFA's Fiskville training base was told of the dangers, despite repeated warnings that they should.

Victims have accused the CFA of not telling staff of the risks, even after a scientific report revealed in 1990 the deadly chemicals they had been exposed to.

A former CFA chief officer, who has spent 15 years battling a rare auto-immune disease and multiple cancers, has lifted the lid on the chemical exposure.

The victims lived and worked at Fiskville, west of Bacchus Marsh.

A two-month Herald Sun investigation has found:

CANCER-causing chemicals, including benzene, were burned in training drills or stored in corroding drums at the settlement.

FORMER workers and trainees have suffered diseases including brain, mouth and oesophageal, bladder, kidney and bowel cancer, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

A FORMER instructor who became sick when he left Fiskville was ordered not to reveal details of a report.

CFA chief executive Mick Bourke promised to investigate the allegations after they were revealed in the Herald Sun this morning.

Mr Bourke claimed the CFA had not yet found the 1990 report which outlined the deadly chemicals that Fiskville staff and families had been exposed to in the 1970s and 1980s.

"I have no knowledge what's in the report or who authored it ... our people are still checking our records," he said on ABC radio.

"We are taking some action to get a hygienist onsite to give some confidence to those that are there now.

"We have to treat these allegations seriously. I've been around a lot of contaminated sites in a former life, they do cause concern, they can cause health issues. We need to investigate this properly.

"We need to conduct an investigation and if there are matters there pertaining to pollution and they could have had an impact on people, we will redress those."

Last night, a CFA spokesman said: "This is the first we have heard of these allegations and we are not aware of any evidence.

"These allegations date back more than 30 years and we are checking our records.

"We welcome any credible evidence."

Join journalist Ruth Lamperd as she answers your questions LIVE from noon

The chemicals were later buried on the site. They included benzene, toluene, xylene and phenol.

The substances are linked to problems including blood disorders, heart, liver and kidney damage, hormonal disorders, immune diseases and hearing and vision impairment and depression.

Former residents spoke of shutting windows as black smoke rose from chemicals burning on the training pad, and children who would watch nearby.

The Herald Sun has confirmed at least nine people have died from cancer and other diseases that could be caused by exposure. A further eight had serious health problems.

At least five of the 10 families of instructors living at Fiskville at the time suffered diseases in their 50s.

One of the instructors, Brian Potter, who became the CFA's chief officer, has spent the past 15 years battling a rare auto-immune disease and cancer.

He said that after dedicating his life's work to the CFA, he was very concerned the chemicals he was exposed to were the cause of his illnesses.

Mr Potter's approach to CFA management several months ago to find out the contents of the drums and the toxic training drills have not been productive.

"We had a right to know what was being burnt and stored once the CFA knew," he said.

"I've lost dear friends and I've seen many of them suffer.

"The CFA had a duty to tell all of us what we were exposed to but it didn't."

United Firefighters Union state secretary Peter Marshall said Mr Potter was an extremely respected and credible person whose allegations should be taken seriously.

"For him to come out and make allegations like this, it has to have some substance," he said.

"I have heard myself that Fiskville used to take chemical byproducts from industry and use that for simulated exercises where firefighters would hone their skills for chemical spills."

Mr Marshall said a recent Senate inquiry found firefighters had a higher rate of cancer than other occupations.

Even modern uniforms could not prevent the absorption of toxins and carcinogens into the skin.

"If they did (fail to warn of the risks after a scientific report revealed the danger in 1990), then they've failed in their duty of care and they were negligent," he said.

"There is no excuse for anyone now to suggest that firefighters are not exposed to environments that cause cancer."

A former instructor who was privy to the CFA's report, Alan Bennett, wrote to CFA management in 1990 and 1991 saying there were others who should be told what they were exposed to.

"As you are aware, the consequences of these chemicals activating at any time in the future, and the damage they may cause concerns me greatly," he wrote.

But Mr Bennett said as far as he knew, no advice was given to any of his friends from Fiskville.

Special investigation: 'We heard a whoomph ... a drum flew into the air'

Lived or trained at Fiskville? Let us know your experiences.
Email Ruth Lamperd at [e-mail]

- with Jessica Craven