General News
22 December, 2023
Derrinallum shows off new tanker
MEMBERS of the Derrinallum Country Fire Authority (CFA) brigade have been testing out the latest addition to their fire-fighting arsenal recently.
Thanks to a $320,000 grant received in 2020-2021 through the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program, and $60,000 of community fundraising, the brigade has a new tanker to assist in fighting fires.
The Hino four by four tanker features crew cabin seating for five members, automatic transmission for ease of use, and a capacity of 2350 litres of water.
This includes crew and vehicle spray protection, helping to keep firefighters safe during incidents.
First Lieutenant Stephen Bignell said all the members of the brigade will get a chance to take the tanker for a test drive to learn about it, with learnings to be shared.
“It’s a great asset to the brigade because it’s an upgrade to our previous tanker that the brigade owns; both of them are brigade owned, with the support of the CFA and government funding, and community funding,” he said.
“It’s an improvement on the last one, and current and all its OHS is up to date, which makes it safer for those that are using it.
“Currently, a couple of members have had it out and they’re happy with it.
“They’re learning about it; there’s a lot of learning about it to do, so there’s currently a couple members out doing that, some testing, running and learning.”
Mr Bignell said the tanker will help to provide a safer environment for CFA brigade members during incidents.
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