By Callum Ludwig
Over the weekend, to participate in an important training exercise, Upper Yarra CFAs made their way to Upper Yarra Secondary College.
Scoresby CFA brought up their specialist Hose Layer truck for brigades to familiarise themselves with, a truck which has already been utilised at major fires this year such as at Big Watermelon Wholesale in Wantirna South and the Temple fire at Springvale South.
2nd Lieutenant and Training Officer at Yarra Junction Fire Brigade Steve Spoor organised the exercise alongside 3rd Lieutenant Adam Pelling and said it was about testing the brigade’s pre-action plans set in place for large infrastructure.
“The high school is one of our biggest assets so that’s why we did it there, so what we did was simulate that the water had failed inside the school grounds and to compensate for that we had Scoresby’s Hose Layer up,” he said.
“For instance, if there was a fire and the school has an internal ring main that failed, then we can call the hose layer up to lay some hose from a different spot, whether it be the dam that’s across the road or down at the river.”
During the exercise, brigades were acting as if they had to conduct an internal search and rescue for students during a fire at the school, and ran twin lines of 100mm hose down to the oval with ground monitors set up and ready.
Mr Spoor said it is fantastic to have brigades across the region with different specialist skills or equipment.
“Having those resources is such an asset, whether it comes from a brigade in the Yarra Valley group, Knox Group or Maroondah group and be it Scoresby’s Hose Layer or somewhere like Montrose with their gas flare-off equipment,” he said.
“It’s just great knowing that we can turn out to a job and if it turns south or if we need that specialist brigade, it’s just a matter of jumping onto the radio and asking for it.”
Mooroolbark Fire Brigade also turned out with their extra large pumper for brigades to be familiar with.
As well as Yarra Junction Fire Brigade, Wandin Fire Brigade, Hillcrest Fire Brigade, Seville Rural Fire Brigade, Gruyere Fire Brigade, Yellingbo Rural Fire Brigade, Little Yarra CFA, Hoddles Creek CFA, Wesburn / Millgrove CFA and Warburton CFA were all in attendance.
