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Industrial Fire Exposes Danger of Equipment Shortage as Vital Aerial Firefighting Tool Left in Parts!

03 January 2024

The equipment shortage hamstringing Victoria’s firefighting response has been exposed once more after a large industrial fire in Melbourne’s west forced firefighters to source vital aerial firefighting equipment from another station to contain the inferno.

Sunshine Fire Station, which responded to the large factory fire in Laverton North on Tuesday, has been without a dedicated Teleboom since last February – leaving the region without rapid aerial firefighting capability for almost 12 months.

It took more than 70 firefighters over two hours to control the massive blaze, with firefighters calling in the closest Teleboom from Richmond to fill the lack of vital resources at Sunshine.

A Teleboom is an effective and rapid aerial firefighting appliance that is critical to the industrial area, which has a restricted water mains service and is known as an area of high risk for industrial fires.

United Firefighters Union Victorian Branch Secretary Peter Marshall said the Laverton North fire highlights the need for FRV to urgently restore Sunshine’s resources to protect both the community and firefighters.

“It is unacceptable for Sunshine crews to respond to a large fire and know the Teleboom they need to get it under control quickly is sitting in parts – and has been since February despite repeated requests to have it restored,”

He said.
“The western and outer western suburbs of Melbourne have been without a rapid aerial firefighting capability and rescue from heights capability for almost 12 months. “The area is well known by FRV as having a restricted water mains service and is notorious for industrial fires, which makes it imperative that all appliances in the area are fit for purpose to ensure the most effective and timely response.

“We should not be sitting around waiting for a disaster. The lack of a replacement for Sunshine Fire Station means a more consequential fire would present a greater risk to the local community and the firefighters responding to it”.

“We need the Allan Government to take this seriously, stop dragging their feet and properly resource our fire stations to keep Victorians safe.”

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The UFU supports the call of First Nations peoples for a Voice to Parliament to be enshrined in the Constitution.

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