‘Loudest wake-up call’: Fireys fought massive factory blaze with failing equipment

Fire crews who tackled an out-of-control factory blaze — sparked by a chemical blast in Melbourne’s west — were left to struggle with old, failing equipment, which the union boss has warned could have cost lives.

In the wake of Melbourne’s worst industrial fire on record it has been revealed firefighters were burdened with old, failing equipment including a 20-year-old fire truck that stopped working on scene.

Nearly a quarter of the entire Fire Rescue Victoria fleet responded to Swann Dr in Derrimut when an ACB chemical factory exploded on July 10.

A toxic cocktail of chemicals stored at the factory burned for hours as emergency services were thrust right into the thick of the smoke and flames.

Nearly two weeks on, the Victorian arm of the United Firefighters Union has detailed the lack of reliable resources at their disposal to fight the out-of-control blaze.

Nearly a quarter of the entire Fire Rescue Victoria fleet responded to the chemical factory blaze in Derrimut. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

One fire truck, which had been in service for more than two decades, failed to produce any foam on two occasions during the emergency response.

A 15-year-old command unit set up at the site caused communications chaos for those on the ground, intermittently dropping out because it was too small to handle a co-ordinated inter-agency effort.

A piece of equipment crucial to the fire response in Derrimut was on the other side of Melbourne to help cover for a truck that was out of service for maintenance.

As a result, firefighters had to position themselves closer to the fire with outdated equipment, exposing themselves to a bulk of flammable chemicals.

UFU Victorian secretary Peter Marshall said if the government failed to act and respond to their calls for a replacement fleet following the Derrimut explosion, tragedy may be unavoidable in the future.

Firefighters near the blaze were forced to expose themselves to a bulk of flammable chemicals. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“This is the loudest wake-up call we are ever going to get,” Mr Marshall said.

“We cannot ignore it. The price of inaction could well be paid in human lives.”

He said the tireless effort of firefighters was enough to contain the fire but “luck on their side that day” because of the failing equipment they had to use.

“Everyone should be concerned by reports that equipment firefighters needed wasn’t there, that they were placed closer to the fire and bulk chemical stores as a result, that trucks past their use by date had pump failures and that the entire incident had communications blackouts,” he said.

Peter Marshall says ‘luck’ was on the side of firefighters because of the failing equipment they had to use. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

FRV has set policies to replace trucks after 15 years of service, yet more than 40 per cent of the fleet is past this age and is set to rise to 60 per cent by the end of 2025.

40 per cent of trucks that attended the scene in Derrimut were past their used by date.

Mr Marshall said July 10 had been the “loudest and clearest” message possible to act for the sake of public and firefighter safety.

“Establishing a rolling fleet replacement program with funding to catch up to this potentially deadly problem and stay ahead of it is a smart, responsible and well overdue investment in public protection for the Victorian government,” he said.