‘Deeply concerned’: UFU warns Victorian firefighters and community are left without resources

The Andrews government has been warned about out-of-date fire equipment, reduced resources and crumbling infrastructure.

The Victorian government has been put on notice to cough up more funding and resources for the state’s fire rescue or face a situation where firefighters are ill-prepared to battle a horror bushfire season.

As fires scorch New South Wales and Queensland, the United Firefighters Union (UFU) Victorian Branch has warned that it is “deeply concerned” about the conditions of their fire trucks, stations, reduced aerial fighting capability and training facilities.

UFU Victorian secretary Peter Marshall said the union had already raised concerns with the state government to no avail.

“With major bushfires already breaking out in early spring, professional firefighters are going into a high-risk bushfire season with trucks that are over 25 years old and prone to breaking down,” Mr Marshall said.

“Earlier this year, one outdated FRV fire truck blew its engine outside a children’s playground, pouring flammable oil onto the street, putting the lives of firefighters and, in this case, children at risk.

“FRV and the United Firefighters Union have repeatedly raised this issue with the Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes, but our requests have fallen on deaf ears, and we’ve seen no action.”

The union boss said Victoria’s aerial firefighting capability had been reduced from 40 aircraft in 2021-22 to just 32 this year.

The reduced capability could mean the ability to control smaller fires before they become uncontrollable would be reduced.

Fire crews put out spot fires on January 04, 2020 in Gippsland, Victoria. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“Due to these budget cuts, unlike NSW, Victoria will not have access to the chinook helicopter heavy water bombers, which can operate at night, allowing firefighters to get on top of a bushfire before the hotter, windy conditions of the day.”

Mr Marshall said fire stations across the state required urgent upgrade and repairs with firefighters having to work around “crumbling infrastructure” as he also criticised the Andrews Labor government’s move to abolish newspaper advertising from July 1.

Premier Daniel Andrews defended the decision in June, with the government now relying on television and digital advertising.

“We make judgments about where the audience is, and we’re not making any apology for focusing our efforts much more acutely on online, digital, television – that’s where the audience is and that’s where the return on investment for taxpayers is,” Mr Andrews said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews defended his government's decision to pull government advertising in The Age and Herald Sun earlier this year. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Marshall said the move meant bushfire safety and community education would “suffer significantly”

“Many older Victorians do not own smartphones, do not use computers, and rely on their daily newspapers for critical information about bushfire safety,” he said.

“Slashing government safety advertising may leave elderly Victorians fearful and vulnerable as we enter this high-risk bushfire season without the necessary information.”