Fire Crisis at Newport’s Fire Station

Newport’s Fire Station 42 is facing a serious fire truck crisis, putting the safety of the community at risk.

The station is supposed to have:

1. A Pumper for everyday firefighting.

2. An Ultra Large Pumper (ULP) to handle large industrial fires, which are a significant risk in the area due to nearby factories and petrochemical plants.

The reality is far from this:

* The Pumper is out of commission due to a major failure.

* The first replacement was a 31 year old ULP, unsuitable for daily incidents and the oldest fire truck in the fleet.

* The second replacement is a 25-year-old Pumper Tanker, well beyond its 15-year service life under FRV policy.

Additionally, the station’s ULP is 21 years old, making it six years past its service life. This means the combined service age of the two trucks is 46 years when the maximum should be 30 years under policy.

Victorians pay a Fire Services Levy, which is about to double, yet the community is left vulnerable with outdated and unreliable equipment.

Premier Allan and FRV Commissioner Freeman need to address this crisis now and stop ignoring it. Public safety cannot wait.