South West Victoria has been left without confined space and trench rescue capability after Fire Station 70 Warrnambool’s Technical Rescue truck failed while unloading its rescue pod.
The temporary replacement? A dual cab ute carrying barely a quarter of the required equipment — limiting crews to rope rescue only.
That means if someone is trapped in a trench, drain, or grain silo, the nearest properly equipped response could be coming from Ballarat — more than two hours away.
This isn’t a world-class fire service. It’s not even the bare minimum.
Victorians are paying more than ever through the emergency services tax — yet under the Allan Government, critical rescue capability continues to disappear when it’s needed most.
