Geelong firefighters get new ultra-heavy tanker

THE first of 29 new Ultra-heavy Tankers are being rolled out to firefighting brigades across Victoria, including to Geelong.

The 24-tonne vehicles have the capacity to carry 10,000 litres of water, which is higher than some of the CFA water bombing fleet.

This will greatly improve the CFA’s ability to fight fires in remote rural areas with open grasslands.

The tankers are being deployed mostly to brigades in the north-west, south-west and west regions.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said these new vehicles were a welcome addition to the CFA’s firefighting fleet.

“There is potential for the Ultra-heavy Tankers to be used in an urban environment, but they are primarily designed for use in grassy areas and in general firefighting where there is limited access to reticulated water or large open water supplies.

“Earlier this year we saw how quickly and devastating grassfires can be due to the vegetation growth across Victoria.

“These new Ultra-heavy Tankers will help in those remote areas because of their increased capacity to carry water.”

The Ultra-heavy Tanker is a step up from the existing Heavy Tankers, which carry 4,000 litres of water.

They have seating for three crew and include a bulbar-mounted remote-control monitor, which can be operated from inside the cabin to distribute more than 450 litres of water per minute.

The vehicles also have a 200-litre A-class foam tank to allow crews to work ahead of fire fronts and for blacking out.

As well as Geelong, the 29 Ultra Heavy Tankers will be rolled out to brigades near Warrnambool, Wangaratta, Ballarat. Horsham, Swan Hill, Shepparton, Bairnsdale and Bendigo.

The Victorian government supported the vehicles with $12.835 million in funding.