Budget cuts force closures

Post date: 10-Jan-2013 05:23:08

It was with great regret that the commissioner announced budget cuts for the service at a press conference. Highlights below.

Human Services:

• Not all appliances will be permantley staffed. Secondary appliances (tankers) will only be staffed during high risk periods. Other periods will require cross crewing where staff from the primary will cover both appliances.
  • To compensate for this loss of frontline staff, Primary rescue pumpers will receive a 25% staff increase.
• The closure of rural operations station 82 & one of the work teams.
• Station 82 was closed due to the lack of volunteers from the area.
• Station 85 career work team will be stood down & closed. Station 85 volunteer work force will continue to operate.
• Station 81 career work team will be renumbered to 82.
• A frontline force reduction of 125 positions or 21%.

Fleet Services

• Sale of 7 appliances or 14.8% in fleet reduction. Saving dollars to be rolled back into the service for continous fleet upgrades.
• Sale of 1x rescue pumper
• Purchase of 1x Aerial Pumper
• Sale of 1x Aerial Platfom
• Sale of 5x Urban Tankers
• Conversion of 2x Crew Carriers to Wildfire Tankers
• Transfer of 1x Patrol to Support Services.

Station Services:

• The closure of rural operations station 82
• Rural operations stations will be under the administration & operational control of Zone Commanders. Training will still come from central office.
• Yarralumba Station will move to North Command.
• Planning & funding for the Station Upgrade & Relocation programme announced in December 2012 will still continue.
• Total of 10 Career Station, 6 Volunteer Stations, 1 Mitigation Station, operating 40 appliances and 460 Frontline firefighters supported by a streamlined communications, logictics, maintenance & command structure