Little River CFA officially receives Ultralight Tanker

LITTLE River Fire Brigade has officially received the keys to their new Ultralight Tanker.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan joined dignitaries at the fire station to hand over the vehicle to brigade members last Saturday.

Little River Captain Greg Archer said the new Ultralight was a valuable addition to the brigade’s fleet, as it was more agile and allowed access to narrow areas that they often encounter.

“All members will be able to safely head to the fireground now in this vehicle after completing training.

“You also only require a car licence as opposed to a truck licence, which opens it up to more drivers.

“This will allow for a more efficient response to protect the community and an increase in attendance to emergencies.”

He said enhanced features such as the improved lighting and the live hose reel had already been a big help on the brigade’s callouts.

“It will also be a great resource to have with our Heavy Tankers during our incident responses, but also when deployed to strike teams for campaign bushfires, much like those we attended recently in the Grampians, Beaufort and Dereel.”

The new Ultralight Tanker holds 550L of water with a Class A Foam System, a pump and other vital firefighting equipment.

Mr Heffernan said the new Ultralight Tanker incorporated a crew protection system to help ensure volunteers have the best possible chance of survival during a burnover.

“The brigade members will be protected with a compressed air foam external deluge system, radiant heat shield curtains, and fire blankets.

“It also allows the brigade to stow and display items in larger internal cabs, lockers and on aluminium trays.

“The brigade’s response area covers one of the biggest in the district, including small acreage farm lets, grassland reserves, freeways and railway lines. The community will benefit greatly from the brigade’s enhanced capability with this refreshed vehicle.”

The new Ultralight was purchased through the Victorian government’s Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program.

To secure the funding, the brigade of 29-members, contributed more than $11,350 through fundraising, barbecues and tin rattling, with assistance from Bendigo Bank Lara, which also donated $12,000.

Four brigade members – Greg Archer, Warren Rapson, Ray Sanderson and Neil Selkirk – were also acknowledged on the day for their dedicated years of service, receiving awards that spanned up to 55 years of community contribution.