Last night, 3 out of 6 of FRV’s specialist Transporter fire trucks in Melbourne were out of action due to breakdowns. These trucks are critical for rescues, major fires, and HAZMAT response, yet budget mismanagement by FRV executives has left the fleet in disrepair.
With 50 percent of these trucks offline, Lara’s HAZMAT truck had to move closer to Melbourne to cover for Hallam’s broken HAZMAT truck. Lara’s crew then had to take taxis—twice—costing over $400 just to return to their station and retrieve their truck after repairs.
Firefighters should be responding to emergencies, not waiting for taxis. It’s time for urgent action.