Southern Metro Melbourne currently has 3 out of 4 Pumper Tankers (PT’s) unavailable for Strike Team response because they don’t have working Burnover Protection Systems — a critical safety feature during grass and bushfires.
PT31 (Glen Waverley) – No auxiliary system. Workshops have advised it’s “not a priority.” Tyre protection has been offline and reported four times since April.
PT33 (Mentone) – Only just swapped to a one of the oldest out-of-date trucks last week.
PT29 (Clayton South) – Swapped out for a standard frontline pumper, not suited for grass or bushfire response.
That leaves only Pumper Tanker 34 (Highett) operational with a working Burnover Protection System.
Strike Teams are a critical frontline resource — groups of fire trucks that must be available to respond together to bushfires and grassfires, working as a coordinated team to combat dangerous fires and protect communities.
As we head into a dangerous fire season, firefighters are being left without the basic safety equipment they need to stay alive on the fireground.
The Allan Government Slashes,
Victoria Burns 
