General News
1 February, 2023
New Noorat tanker
THE south west is set to benefit as the Country Fire Authority (CFA) rolls out a new fleet of heavy tankers.
THE south west is set to benefit as the Country Fire Authority (CFA) rolls out a new fleet of heavy tankers.
The final phase of the rollout began recently to deliver new replacement tankers throughout the year, with 20 having already been delivered; including one for the Noorat CFA brigade.
Brigades to receive the final 28 new tankers this year will also include both Ellerslie and Cobden CFA brigades.
The new appliances were funded through the Victorian Government’s $126m CFA Capability Funding package, announced in June 2020.
The fleet of new dual-cab appliances includes 48 heavy tankers and two light tankers, all of which replace single-cab tankers and allow a full crew to sit within the cabin.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said tankers were 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 4x4 capabilities and automatic transmission will help crews access fires in difficult terrain.
“They also include features such as electronic monitors and electric rewind hose reels, as well as using a higher percentage of recyclable build materials.”
The heavy tankers also have a 1200 l/min diesel engine-driven fire-fighting pump, crew/vehicle roll over and burn-over protection, and full equipment stowage cache.
Manufacturing on the 48 heavy tankers began in September 2021 at Sunshine North manufacturer R.A Bell and Co., with the final vehicles expected to be complete in September 2023.