Skip to content

Archives for country-fire-authority

See all posts in the network tagged with country-fire-authority

Do You Trust Your Firetruck? How Much?

4 comments

The Signs Say to Not Drive Into Flood Waters

CHRISTMAS DAY IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, THIS YEAR will be remembered mainly by the widespread flooding through the area.  And the people in the northeast suburb of Eltham will remember it as the day the firetruck drove into the flood waters.  Despite the signs and the S.O.P.'s to the contrary, this tanker driver for the Victoria Country Fire Authority misjudged the depth of the water.

 

The CFA officers were not amused and have opened an investigation into the performance of the driver who is one of the most experienced operators in the department.  The Herald Sun is reporting:

Research Fire Brigade Capt Neville Stewart, who was not driving the truck, said the incident happened so quickly. "We weren't expecting it and then we just had to keep going, we couldn't stop it," he said.

The CFA's northwest metropolitan region acting operations manager, Tony O'Day, said the driver was one of the most experienced in the brigade. "It's an error of judgment," Mr O'Day said. "Once they started driving through the water, they were committed and made a decision to keep driving rather than stop. It's certainly not standard behaviour. We don't encourage it."

The crew got itself in deep trouble when it misjudged a signpost and sized up the water incorrectly.

Mr O'Day said people were always told not to drive through floodwaters because of the dangers, and the firefighters should have known better. He said the crew regretted the decision. "They are fairly shaken," Mr O'Day said.

Firegeezer got a kick out of the windshield wipers continuing to operate while under water.  And as the tanker comes up out of the water, watch the captain open the cab door and let the water run out.
Thanks to the Gnome Handler for finding this gem.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on December 30, 2011 • Filed under: apparatus, Response times, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus, Videos • Tagged: , , , , ,

CCTV Catches Tanker Ka-Boom

No comments

Lightning Storm in Area

A TANDEM-TANKER WAS DROPPING GASOLINE at a Melbourne, Australia, convenience store Sunday night when it suddenly ka-boomed and started burning.  The truck's driver was in the cab and he immediately bailed out, dashed away from the flaming fuel and did the stop-drop-roll maneuver putting out his burning clothing.  The store's security cameras caught the unexplained ignition and the river of burning fuel that followed the event:

 

The fuel started running down the street toward a nearby hotel, setting two parked cars afire as it traveled.  About 100 firefighters from the Country Fire Authority responded and found what one described as "a wall of fire" in the area.  They successfully contained the fire and safely controlled the unburnt fuel that was running down the street.

CFA provided photo

The driver stood in the heavy rain cooling off his burns until the ambulance arrived and transported him. He is in critical but stable condition with burns to his legs, hands and arms.  Approximately 500 guests were evacuated from the hotel and adjoining night club as a precaution, but they were later allowed back inside after the emergency was mitigated.

Two parked cars were burned and a third was damaged
when the panicky driver crashed into a tree while trying
to drive away from the fire.  (CFA photo)

After the fire was out they found a large hole in the side of the lead trailer that caused the fuel to run out.  It is being considered that it may have been a lightning strike that caused it because there was an electrical storm in the area at the time, but it has not been determined if that is what happened.  The remaining gasoline was safely transferred from the damaged truck to a replacment trailer.

Herald Sun photo

 

The Knox Leader has the STORY.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Fantastic Markdowns in Video Games at Amazon:

CLICK HERE to see the many games available and to order yours!

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on December 13, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Haz-mat, HazMat, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Embattled Australian Fire Chief Resigns

2 comments

IN THE AUSTRALIAN STATE OF VICTORIA, THE FIRE CHIEF of the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Russell Rees announced his resignation after just 6 months into his current 2-year contract.

rees a

Chief Russell Rees

Chief Rees was in charge of the CFA in February 2009 when the infamous brush fires roared through large swaths of the state killing 173 people and culminating with what is now called “Black Saturday.” 

Rees has been under intense pressure to leave since an interim report for the commission charged with investigating the disaster was released late last year.  The official report is due to be released in July.  The interim report said, “At the IECC (Integrated Emergency Co-ordination Centre) Mr Rees did not appear to become actively involved in operational issues, even when the disastrous consequences of the fires began to emerge.”  TV Channel 9 reports:  Rees was in charge of the CFA on Black Saturday and revealed at the Royal Commission that people at the control centres were relying on inaccurate maps despite having access to detailed data showing the projected movement of the fires through Kinglake and surrounding communities.  Rees admitted that as a result, ABC radio warnings proved more effective and up-to-date than those from the CFA.

There is a lot of strong opinion in Victoria on whether Rees was pushed out, or if he chose to leave voluntarily, as he insists.  The Australian has a good summary on this controversy HERE.

Chief Rees has had the support of the United Firefighters Union, however.  The Herald Sun REPORTS: 

Victoria’s firefighters’ union says the resignation is a chance to move forward and unify the state’s fire services.  The United Firefighters Union UFU wants the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, CFA and the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s firefighters to be merged into one service.

UFU national secretary Peter Marshall said Mr Rees did not necessarily make bad errors on Black Saturday but was working with a chronically flawed system.  “We’ve supported Mr Rees, in the context of that day, because there needs to be an analysis of the lead-up to that season,” Mr Marshall told AAP.  “That includes what resources he had as opposed to what resources were delivered and you can only work with the tools you have got.

The union presented a submission earlier this month to the commission stating that the current system of separate fire services did not serve the “best interests” of Victorians.

The Age has more on this controversy plus a video of Chief Rees’ public announcement HERE.

Posted by on April 23, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Fire-ology • Tagged: , , , ,

A 1st-Alarm Response for Porcine Flatulence

Comments Off

A FARMER IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, FELT COMPELLED TO CALL IN a gas leak on Tuesday when a strong odor of natural gas filled his house.  While his home heating is supplied by bottled gas, the extra-high wildfire hazard conditions in Victoria are making everyone a little skittish and less hesitant to call in potential emergencies.

The Axedale Fire Station of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) dispatched two tanker/pumpers and 15 firefighters to the farmhouse which is a 10-minute drive from the station.  When the FF’s arrived, they could not only smell the heavy gas cloud covering the farmstead, but they could also hear the gas leak.  Captain Peter Harkins told reporters:

“(the farmer) was a little bit embarrassed to say the least,” he says.

“It took us a little while to compose ourselves, to speak to him.  When we got there, as we drove up the driveway, there was this huge sow, about a 120-odd kilo (265 lbs.) sow, and it was very obvious where the gas was coming from.  We could not only smell it, but we heard it and it was quite funny.  I don’t know what they were feeding this thing but we certainly heard it.”

“It was fairly obvious what it was and we hosed it down a little bit.  I think we dealt with it fairly professionally and had a bit of a giggle when we got back to the station.”

He added: “She got very excited when two trucks and 15 firies turned up and she squealed and farted and squealed and farted.  I haven’t heard too many pigs fart but I would describe it as very full-on.”

Captain Harkins was interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald and their conversation is replayed on a video report.  Listen to it HERE and you can hear the reporter cracking up as the captain relates the unusual call.

Posted by on November 27, 2009 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Fire-ology • Tagged: , , , , , ,