Fire brigades in Greater Shepparton and across the state will be getting the latest and most high-tech fire trucks for faster and safer responses to fires.
On Tuesday, May 7, Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes and members of the CFA gathered at the CFA headquarters in Shepparton North for the announcement.
Some $18.6 million from the state budget will be invested into 15 world-class replacement next generation pumpers for the CFA and $15.4 million for five Fire Rescue Victoria pumper platforms.
“Victoria is one of the most fire-prone areas in the world, and these new world-class pumpers will provide better safety for both communities and firefighters,” Ms Symes said.
“We are catering to the needs of volunteers that help keep country communities safe.”
The next generation pumper is designed for domestic structural firefighting and has a design that allows firefighters to start putting out fires at the scene faster while improving the overall safety of the vehicle, both for the crew and for travelling through traffic.
CFA head of fleet Rohan Luke singled out the new breathing apparatus as one of the pumpers’ most significant features, allowing firefighters to set up on the way to a fire, meaning they can immediately start putting it out upon arrival.
The locations and distributions of these pumpers have yet to be confirmed, but local CFA branches will have the opportunity to utilise them in the region.
“Having been through the 2022 floods, having been through the COVID outbreak here a couple of years earlier and obviously the floods earlier this year, which fortunately didn’t eventuate to be as serious as what they potentially could have, I’ve seen first-hand the community rallying in Shepparton,” Ms Symes said.
“It’s quite phenomenal.
“From our emergency service volunteers, whether it’s CFA, SES, this headquarters and how it activates as a hub of all of those services, it’s just incredible to watch.
“I have a really high regard for the council, obviously they are on the ground usually first when it comes to emergencies.
“The (Shepparton) FoodShare arrangements here, the food hub.
“There’s always people on hand to step into those volunteer roles.
“It’s good for the government to know that a community has that strong backbone that we can just come in and help supplement because response and recovery are always best if it’s community-led, and Shepparton is pretty good at it.
“I’ve got to say, I get around the state a bit.
"Shepparton is certainly a model for a large centre and how they come together and respond.”