A Canberra couple who put out a grease fire in their home with the help of a firefighter on the phone would not have received the same expert help if plans to overhaul the ACT's triple zero call centre went ahead, the firefighters union has claimed. Read more at the Canberra Times. … [Read more...]
Union lashes plan to remove firefighters from ACT’s emergency call centre
From the Canberra Times: The firefighting union has lashed out at plans to overhaul Canberra's triple-0 call centre next year, saying it had "no confidence" in the ACT government's plan to replace firefighters who manned the phones with civilians. … [Read more...]
ACT Branch pushes for fire service boundary overhaul
From the Canberra Times: The firefighters union has called for an overhaul of the ACT's bushfire response that would see responsibility for pockets of bushland in Canberra's suburbs handed to the territory's urban firefighters in the event of an emergency. The United Firefighters Union has proposed changes to control over the territory's bushfire abatement zones, which … [Read more...]
Who’s running the fire brigade?
From City News: THE United Firefighters Union says ACT Fire & Rescue is without effective leadership for 48 hours, with Chief Officer Mark Brown out of Canberra today and tomorrow, and the position of Deputy Chief Officer scrapped earlier this week. “It’s the latest impact of the rolling restructures masterminded by former UK fire chief Mark Jones, ACT Fire & Rescue’s … [Read more...]
Canberrans at risk as fire truck goes offline
From the ABC: Canberrans are "being put at risk" by the ACT Government not investing in more fire trucks able to tackle blazes in high-rise apartments, the ACT firefighters union says. Canberra has just one Bronto aerial platform, which is capable of fighting fires in buildings taller then seven stories. But the truck is currently out of operation for a week, … [Read more...]