By Callum Ludwig
Four world-class heavy tankers are set to arrive at Yarra Ranges and Dandenong Ranges fire brigades ahead of the 2023-24 summer, courtesy of the Victorian state government.
Seville, Olinda, The Basin and Gembrook CFA will all receive a new 4000-litre capacity tanker to add to their fleet.
Seville CFA Captain Stephen Crupi said it had been a long time coming and was great news to hear they will receive a new tanker.
“It’s a huge upgrade, ours will be replacing a 30-year-old truck, which has served the community well but is showing its age and lacks a lot of safety features like airbags,” he said.
“It will give us an enhanced firefighting capability with an increase in water capacity by 1000L, which is a lot when you are out there with no water, and the new trucks are electronic push buttons rather than mechanical and manual, which will be a lot easier and faster.”
The new tankers are dual-cab and are all replacing single-cab vehicles, meaning fewer firefighters will have to ride on the back out to incidents and emergencies.
Mr Crupi said the trucks will definitely make a difference to the Seville CFA’s firefighting abilities.
“They’ve got a lot of features on them and are very capable trucks which will save a lof of backbreaking labour and improve our ability to respond t incidents,” he said.
“It will be important for the brigade members who are very active in responding to fires and incidents in the area and supporting surrounding brigades, and it will complement the brigades existing fleet of a 3.4C tanker, salvage unit and Ultra-Light tanker.”
The Victorian-produced heavy tankers feature a multilayered crew protection system, ensuring the vehicle can withstand fire temperatures of more than 600 degrees Celsius, with other features including electronic monitors, electric rewind hose reels, modern cab chassis enhancements and higher levels of emissions controls.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said tankers are a vital part of CFA’s fleet, with more than
1900 across the state.
“These new tankers are state-of-the-art firefighting vehicles,” he said.
“The Heavy Tankers feature a 15-tonne crew-cab chassis with a 4,000-litre water tank, while
their 4×4 capability and automatic transmission will help crews access fires in difficult terrain.”
The new appliances were funded through the Victorian Government’s $126m CFA Capability Funding package, announced in June 2020.
“Victoria is one of the most fire-prone areas in the world and these replacement tankers will provide better safety outcomes for both communities and firefighters,” said Acting Minister for Emergency Services Anthony Carbines.
“These heavy tankers aren’t just a valuable addition to volunteer fleets – they’re made right here in Victoria, supporting local manufacturing and jobs.”
