Earlier this month, local CFA volunteers from the North West region joined Forest Fire Management Victoria personnel at an intensive large airtanker reloading training day.
The seven CFA fireys headed to Bendigo Airport to hone their skills, focusing on how to efficiently reload the airtankers, a session that forms as part of a broader major airtanker education roll-out across Victoria.
CFA Deputy Chief Officer for Operational Response and Coordination Garry Cook attended the training day and highlighted the importance of regular skills maintenance sessions for volunteers to sustain their knowledge and expertise for when they are required out in the field.
“We’ve got two large airtankers that are in Victoria for this summer. We had crews undertaking the exercise on the Q400, that’s a large capacity airtanker and behind that is the RJ which they also loaded,” he said.
“Essentially the training is about familiarising yourself with the load points on the large airtankers themselves, as well as operating the pumping systems to get the water.
“We used water for the training, but we could also be using foam here at Bendigo.
The large airtanker is the biggest and most-effective water bomber available and now having sound understanding of the aircrafts, Garry said the volunteers can relay that information back to their brigade members.
“They can now share what these aircrafts are capable of doing, in terms of what they carry and their turnover times,” he said.
“It’s really important to understand that the aircrafts that go out to fires actually need to go back and land, and somebody has to reload them.
“It’s a whole logistics exercise, it’s not just about the aircrafts dropping on the fire, it’s what makes the whole system work.”
Following their theory class and drills connecting the hoses to the bombers, the volunteers witnessed a drop across the runway.
“The crews that participated in the day, they’re interested in the task to essentially help our frontline firefighters,” he said.
“The fires know no boundaries and the way that we train to reload these know no boundaries either. It was an all-agency effort here.”
Strathfieldsaye Fire Brigade volunteer Sara Fitzroy-Moore who was inspired to join CFA to serve the community and to help people was among the members who got involved in the reloader initiative.
“I thought it would be interesting to do, and a good way for me to support my region and my local fire brigade as well as help others in the process.” she said.
“I’ve now learned how to load an aircraft safely that is designed to drop water on fires and discovered how to operate a large pump.”
Now a source of information for her brigade, Sara also hinted that alongside Junortoun, a team will be formed to help support this initiative in Bendigo to further equip the right people for when aircraft is required.
“It will also support fire crews state-wide because the faster we can turn around these firefighting aircraft, the more beneficial it’s going to be for our crews on the ground,” she said.
“I just think the best thing for me to witness during the reloader training was the aircraft we’re going to be servicing in the future.
“It’s fantastic to see them on the ground, understand how they work, and how we can work with them.
“It’s going to be better for the state of Victoria.”
