Every day our emergency service workers and volunteers are on the frontline, protecting Victorians from fires, floods and other incidents and the Allan Labor Government is making sure they have the equipment they need to do their job.
The Victorian Budget 2024/25 will provide $18.6 million to deliver 15 world-class replacement Next Generation pumpers for the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and $15.4 million for five Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) pumper platforms.
This brings the Labor Government’s total investment in new fire services vehicles to more than $100 million since 2018 – with 29 new ultra heavy tankers, 48 heavy tankers and two light tankers for the CFA, and 22 new trucks and support vehicles currently on the way for FRV.
Investing in modern equipment improves tactical efficiency for our firefighters – helping them to minimise damage to life, property and themselves.
The Next Generation Pumper is a medium sized vehicle designed for domestic structural firefighting and has a design that allows firefighters to start putting fires out at the scene faster while improving safety for crews.
A key feature of the vehicles is the integrated breathing apparatus located in the vehicles’ seats which will enable firefighters to arrive at a scene with equipment already on so they can begin responding immediately.
There is also a protected stowage area for soiled equipment which will allow for a clean vehicle cabin and help reduce contamination to firefighters like unnecessary smoke inhalation from burnt equipment.
These new pumpers will be increasingly important in the future as we face more fires due to climate change, and as the CFA continues to encourage more people to join their local brigade and protect the communities they live in.
The five pumper platforms for FRV will deliver vehicles with aerial capability of up to 25 metres – up from 16 metres with previous models. These units can transport five firefighters and can provide water and foam suppression, road accident rescue support and emergency medical response.
With the pumper platforms, firefighter safety is significantly improved through the ability to operate the aerial component remotely with visual and thermal imaging capabilities.
Locations of the pumpers and pumper platforms will be confirmed following consultation with the CFA and FRV.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes
“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.”
“We continue to deliver record funding for our fire services to ensure they have what they need to respond quickly to emergencies while also attracting more people to join their local brigade.”
