By Violet Li
Cranbourne firefighters are advocating for replacing a 15-year-old fire truck, amid what the union called a state-wide crisis of aging and unreliable fleets.
Cranbourne Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) senior station officer and United Firefighters Union (UFU) Victoria delegate Geoff Barker said the 15-year-old truck broke down three times last year, with brakes catching fire, unresolved intermittent electrical faults, and increased mechanical failures.
The three breakdowns occurred during responding to and from emergencies.
“The front brakes caught fire last year when we got back to the station. It was burning. So we had to put an extinguisher on our own fire truck, and I thought that was quite embarrassing,” Mr Barker said.
“It’s past its use-by date. It’s expired.”
Mr Barker said he had advocated for a new fire truck to the local MP, but to no avail at the moment.
“There is no plan, no funding to replace this fleet,” he said.
He estimated that a new fire truck would cost about $1.2 million.
When inquired, Cranbourne MP Pauline said: “We have delivered more than $100 million to ensure our firefighters have the trucks, resources and equipment they need to protect Victorians and keep themselves safe.
“As part of the most recent Budget, we delivered more than $15.4 million for five new FRV pumper platforms. This is in addition to more than 20 trucks and support vehicles already on their way to FRV.
“Our dedicated fire services continue to deliver the best service to the community, so that Victorians, no matter where they live, are safe.”
In Victoria, more than half of the fleet will be over 15 years old by the end of this year, according to Mr Barker.
Earlier in January this year, the alleged Truck Fire Crisis by the UFU Victoria was widely reported, following the breakdown of a fire truck while deployed to Halls Gap during the Grampians National Park fire.
The union states that there are over 70 fire trucks out of 200 that are so old they should be off the road, including one truck over 30 years old.
“This is putting lives at serious risk,” it states.
FRV Fire Rescue Commissioner Gavin Freeman AFSM acknowledged in a then-statement that FRV has a policy of replacing fire trucks at a maximum age of 15 years, but he claimed fire trucks do not expire simply because they reach a certain age.
“These appliances are specially built and can remain in service for long periods, depending on their usage and workload,” he stated.
Tim Rochford, another firefighter at Cranbourne FRV and UFU Victoria delegate, said it was getting harder and harder to maintain the 15-year-old fire truck.
“The mechanics had to find parts in Western Australia because these trucks are getting so old and their parts are getting scarcer,” he said.
“There are no spare trucks across Victoria at the moment.
“The reality is when a truck’s manufactured, the standard is that they provide spare parts for 10 years. After that, there are no more spare parts of that exact model made anymore. You’re left with whatever’s in surplus at the supplier’s or you’re forced to go to aftermarket parts or refurbish parts.
“So these trucks are getting harder to find parts for, plus they’re getting more expensive and less reliable as they’re rebuilt and remanufactured parts.
“They get more costly to fix and service every single time, and they don’t last as long as the original parts as well. It’s an ongoing issue.”
The two firefighters said Cranbourne Station is the third busiest station in the district, serving not only Cranbourne, but to Clyde, Clyde North, Devon Meadows, and even into Skye.
When inquired if Cranbourne FRV is going to get a new fire truck, a spokesperson of FRV said FRV is making strong progress in updating its fleet of more than 200 firefighting road appliances.
“FRV recently welcomed three new Pumper Platform trucks and our first electric fire truck to our fleet,” they said.
“On top of these new additions to FRV’s fleet, right now there are a total of 27 new vehicles on the way, with many expected to arrive before the end of the year.
“The proposed allocation of new appliances is subject to internal consultation and has not been finalised.
“FRV is committed to supplying the most appropriate appliances to meet the risks in the community.”
