MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, December 25, 2023
The Allan Government’s announcement that it would invest millions in aerial firefighting resources rather than fix or replace broken down fire trucks is a diversion of vital resources and a ‘slap in the face’ for professional firefighters and the local communities they seek to protect.
United Firefighters Union Victorian Branch Secretary Peter Marshall said the Allan Government’s announcement showed a total disregard for the safety of professional firefighters and the community.
“Aircraft don’t put out house fires, they don’t rescue people from car wrecks, and they don’t secure dangerous gas leaks”.
It takes professional firefighters to do that, and firefighters can’t do this critical work to keep the community safe with unreliable, broken down and out-of-date fire trucks. While professional firefighters struggle with trucks that malfunction and break down at incidents, and dozens of out of date fire trucks that should be put off the road, the Allan Government has today announced it would be diverting millions of dollars into additional aerial firefighting resources.
“Today’s announcement by the Allan Government that it would divert vital resources into aerial firefighting rather than replace dozens of out-of-date and broken down fire trucks is a slap in the face for professional firefighters who put their lives on the line to protect the safety of their communities”.
“Almost half of FRV’s Melbourne firefighting appliances are outdated, and every time one of these appliances fails, as was the case during the recent Dandenong factory fire, the lives of firefighters and the community are jeopardised”
“The fact that the Allan Government chooses to ignore the enormous risk to firefighter and community safety posed by these broken down and out-of-date fire trucks is a disgrace.”