Firefighter safety: All CFA ultra-light tankers to get crew protection

All of the CFA’s 246 ultra-light tankers will be fitted with new crew protection systems, including heat curtains and foam systems. See them in action.

The Allan Labor Government has promised to spend more than $3 million retrofitting all of the CFA’s 246 ultra-light tankers with new crew protection systems, including compressed air foam-based deluge to suppress fires and radiant heat shield curtains.

Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said the “ultra-light tankers make up an important part of our fleet – ensuring an agile response to grassfires and areas that are hard to reach when our heavier trucks can’t get there”.

“Our firefighters put their lives on the line every day for the safety of Victorian communities – these upgrades mean we’re keeping them as safe as possible too,” she said.

The retrofit includes internal cabin storage for fire blankets, making them more accessible in the event of a burn-over.

Some plastic elements of the vehicle have also been replaced with more durable materials such as steel or aluminium.

Ms Symes’ office said the additional crew protection systems have been exposed to real fire and significant testing over several years to ensure they can protect volunteers during an emergency.

A further $5 million has been allocated to deliver 33 new ultra-light tankers and will have the same crew protection systems as the retrofitted vehicles, feature a 550-litre water tank, and can seat two volunteers.

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief executive Adakm Barnett said the investment was good news for firefighters, but said the government had failed to allocate any new funding in the recent state budget to replace the CFA tankers that were the core of fleet.

“Given VFBV’s estimates that CFA needs to invest at least $30 million a year just to stop the average fleet age going backwards, this year’s commitments are woefully short,” Mr Barnett said.

“This is yet another year where presumably the problem is just tucked under the rug for somebody else to sort out.”

But he said what won’t go away “is the 700 creaking old single cab tankers that still force firefighters to ride on the back of the truck separated from the driver and crew leader”.

VFBV has repeatedly warned Victoria has the oldest firefighting fleet in Australia, despite being the most fire-prone state.

Even the Labor Government-appointed independent monitor Niall Blair has warned Victoria’s fire crews are operating in stations and driving tankers that “are aged beyond useful life”.