Replacement vehicle arrives in Ballarat after absence during dangerous fire period

Fire Rescue Victoria [FRV] has sent a replacement breathing apparatus support vehicle to Ballarat after concerns were raised over a lack of equipment to service the west of Victoria.

After the Lucas based truck became inoperable on February 19, 2024, United Firefighters Union Ballarat delegate Matt Wilson told The Courier Ballarat and surrounding areas would be serviced by vehicles from either Melbourne or Bendigo, and emergency services would be forced to fight fires for longer without the apparatus.

In response to this masthead's questions, a FRV spokesperson said the safety of firefighters was of "utmost importance" to the organisation, and a replacement breathing apparatus support vehicle was moved to Ballarat on February 24, 2024.

In the absence of the support vehicle, the spokesperson said there was alternative equipment that could be used, and if required, breathing apparatus support could be requested from the Country Fire Authority or Melbourne.

"All of Ballarat City and Lucas Fire Station's pumper appliances - the primary appliances that respond to emergencies - contain breathing apparatus and extra cylinders," they said.

"In addition, both fire stations have extra breathing apparatus sets that can be deployed in incidents, along with the ability to recharge cylinders as required."

Earlier:

Firefighters in Ballarat will be without crucial equipment for the foreseeable future as the Lucas based Breathing Apparatus Support vehicle has been deemed inoperable.

The vehicle, which services most of southwestern Victoria, is used at major incidents to supply air to breathing equipment, which helps firefighters tackle internal blazes and sites with hazardous material.

While the equipment is out of action, the Ballarat area will be serviced by Breathing Apparatus Support vehicles from either Bendigo or Melbourne.

According to the United Firefighters Union (UFU), since the vehicle went offline on Monday, February 19, 2024, there were at least two incidents where the equipment should have been used but was unavailable.

UFU Ballarat delegate Matt Wilson said the equipment could make the difference between containing fires to their original site or having them spread across multiple properties.

Without the truck, he said firefighters had the ability to combat blazes for about an hour, but afterwards they would be forced to fight flames from the exterior of buildings which is not as effective.

If crews manage to get blazes under control without the equipment, Mr Wilson said they will still be fighting fires for longer, which will consequently stretch Fire Rescue Victoria [FRV] resources even thinner.

"[It] could be the difference between losing one factory and losing two to three factories," he said.

"We will always obviously do our best to save life and property because that's our job, but we're people as well.

"We've got to look out for our own safety and we're not going to put ourselves in a situation that we're going to adversely affect ourselves in terms of potentially killing ourselves.

"We'll do everything we can but that's a bit of a stretch."

While the absence of the vehicle is a blow for Ballarat, Mr Wilson said it could have more serious consequences for areas outside the city.

As the Lucas vehicle was supposed to service everywhere from Ballarat and Melton to Portland and Warrnambool, it means replacement vehicles coming from Bendigo and Melbourne could take several additional hours before they reach their destination.

"It's a vital asset to us and the community," Mr Wilson said.

"For Ballarat and surrounds and the rest of southwest Victoria to be without that, it's a really big issue."

To make matters worse, the vehicle is inoperable at a time of high fire danger, with severe bushfires affecting communities west of Ballarat including Beaufort, Mount Cole and Lexton.

On February 23, the town of Beaufort was evacuated for the likely the first time in living memory, after a fire which started west of Mount Cole was exacerbated by high winds and temperatures.

Despite the severity of the situation, Mr Wilson said there was no instruction from FRV about when they can expect the vehicle to return.

This year, the Ballarat brigade has already had problems with a ladder platform truck, and Mr Wilson said in general FRV are not doing enough to address ageing and faulty equipment.

"They're not looking to get a replacement or to have the truck or vehicle repaired as soon as they should," he said.

"The union is pushing for more funding to be spent on the fleet upgrade and getting better trucks.

"At the moment, like a lot of things, the government is not willing to give out that money, the funding is not there."

Fire Rescue Victoria has been contacted for comment.