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Minister, union weigh in on pumper platform allocation as current aerial appliance springs a leak
Shepparton’s aerial firefighting capacity was reportedly reduced by an equipment failure mere hours after it was confirmed to local crews by Fire Rescue Victoria that a promised pumper platform appliance — which would allow for rescues at great heights as well as greater aerial presence across the region — would be heading to a metropolitan station instead.
United Firefighters Union of Victoria posted a video to social media on Sunday about Shepparton’s aerial pumper failing following a training drill on Friday afternoon.
“Shepparton aerial pumper has failed after a training drill and has a slow leak requiring it to be refilled constantly,” the union said in the post.
“This occurred only 90 minutes after the firefighters were told the new pumper platform was no longer coming, but instead being diverted to the (western suburbs) of Melbourne. This means Shepparton is now left with an out-of-date truck due to poor planning by FRV.
“The next pumper platforms are still two to three years away from coming online, leaving Shepparton short-changed for the foreseeable future.
“This truck is approaching 14 years in service and is due for replacement next year.”
The union has also reached out directly to FRV, in a letter sighted by The News and addressed to Assistant Chief Fire Officer Craig Brownlie, which was emailed on August 23.
“I write in relation to the FRV pumper platforms that are scheduled to be commissioned in the near future,” the letter — which is signed by union branch secretary Peter Marshall — said.
“Previously, following consultation, the FRV/UFU Consultative Committee endorsed the pumper platforms being commissioned and allocated to FS70 Warrnambool, FS72 Mildura and FS75 Shepparton.
“The UFU places FRV on notice that, in accordance with the Enterprise Agreement, if FRV is intending to make any change to the endorsed position, such proposal must be processed via the Consultative Committee.
“Further, any proposal to change the endorsed/agreed position must be proposed in writing and include any relevant documentation inclusive of data and reasonings (including the original risk assessments that underpinned the final Consultative Committee Papers).”
Despite this, FRV representatives were in Shepparton on Friday, September 6, to speak to local crews and advise that they would be pushing ahead with looking to ratify the decision to change the allocation of the new truck from Shepparton to Sunshine.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell confirmed to The News that FRV representatives told local crews that Shepparton remained the area with the highest risk profile for this specific equipment in regional Victoria, but that Mildura and Warrnambool were serviced first due to their remote locations. They also said Shepparton’s would be reassigned to Sunshine subject to the decision being ratified by a FRV committee.
State Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes provided comments about the issue to the media on Friday morning.
“Operational decisions such as the deployment of vehicles are made by FRV, not the government. Wendy Lovell’s comments are severely misleading, and I call on her to correct the record immediately,” Ms Symes said.
“It was the Liberals who went to war with our firefighters and who only care about them when trying to score political points. We’re backing them with more than $100 million to ensure they have the vehicles and equipment they need to protect Victorians and keep themselves safe.
“This year’s budget includes $18.6 million to deliver 15 replacement pumpers to the CFA. The CFA is also rolling out 48 heavy tankers and two light tankers funded as part of our $126 million CFA Capability Package — with Shepparton, Tatura, Numurkah and Nathalia all receiving one of these heavy tankers.”
In response, Ms Lovell called on the minister to address the situation directly.
“When a minister gets personal in their response it is clear that they can’t actually defend the decision that has been made,” Ms Lovell said.
“This is clear in Minister Symes’ response where she attacks me without addressing the issue raised with her, which is Shepparton missing out on a vital multimillion-dollar fire truck that is being redirected to Sunshine.
“If the minister is confident the correct decision has been made she should have said so in her response or at least have addressed when a pumper platform fire truck will be delivered to Fire Station 75 in Shepparton.
“The minister is clearly not across her portfolio, as her response outlines the budget for replacement of CFA vehicles when this fire truck is a FRV acquisition for a FRV station.”
The closest station which has comparable aerial capacity to the new pumper platform appliances is Bendigo, which had a very public malfunction of its aerial unit in late August when video surfaced of a firefighter self-evacuating from ‘Ladder Platform 73’ while battling a shop fire in Inglewood.