Gallacher gifts new fire truck for RFS
Published Date: 01 Feb 2014
Summary
Daily Liberal By MICHELLE BARKLEY
THE Orana Rural Fire Service (RFS) received the keys to a state-of-the-art category 6 tanker when Minister for Police and Emergency Services Michael Gallacher arrived in Dubbo yesterday.
He said that the $300,000 vehicle would revolutionise the way fires are fought in the region.
Adaptable to different types of terrain and taking up to 9000 litres of water (three-times what the standard tanker takes), it will serve a variety of purposes whether used to fight fires directly or supply water to smaller vehicles in dense areas.
It will replace a 35 year old service tanker and while it will be based in Wellington, it will be used right across the Orana region.
Orana Manager Lyndon Wieland said the tanker couldn't have come at a better time.
The Orana team have had access to it since December and it was instrumental in saving a number of properties recently.
"We are lucky so far in Orana, we've had lots of fires and none have become large campaign fires because of our volunteers' commitment to putting them out and responding quickly.
"You could give me all the equipment in the world but the volunteers are the ones fighting it."
Mr Gallacher thanked the RFS volunteers for their hard work year in and year out.
"Handing over the keys to the tanker might seem like a small thing, but for us it is a very emotional thing," he said.
"This is going to be used for many years to come and not by people flying their desks in Sydney but people like you."
Mr Gallacher said there was a need to go out into rural communities to ensure emergency services facilities were upgraded where needed.
"Obviously this as the reason for the trip, to speak to these people first hand and see what the needs are of the volunteers," he said.
He is travelling on to Bourke to go on patrol with the police, as well as Broken Hill and then Victoria.
State member for Orange Andrew Gee said that the dedication of generations of volunteers was what made the RFS so successful.
He recalled stories of people who used to be in the front line fighting fires with meagre equipment such as metal sticks with paddles on the end.
"I go to these tanker hand outs and I am amazed at how far we have come," he said.
Wellington captain Peter Conn has been trained to use the tanker and will soon begin training more members of the RFS.
View the Prime 7 News story
