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Junortoun and Eaglehawk Fire Brigade members with Premier and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan and CEO Natalie MacDonald

Junortoun and Eaglehawk communities will be better protected with the arrival of two new heavy tankers to the brigades.

Premier and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan officially handed over the heavy tankers alongside CFA Chief Executive Officer Natalie MacDonald and brigade members today (19 July).

Captain of Eaglehawk Fire Brigade Kylie Davis said the heavy tanker is going to be a huge asset to their region.

“We feel incredibly lucky to have a new heavy tanker serving Eaglehawk and the greater Bendigo area,” Kylie said.

It is not just the two local communities that will benefit from the new heavy tankers. Over recent years both brigades have played an active role in strike teams across the country.

They supported deployments to fires in NSW during the 2019-20 Black Summer and most recently brigade members supported the multi-agency preparedness and response for the Victorian floods in 2022.

“The additional resources that this tanker gives us will also be a great benefit when we are requested for strike team support in national emergencies,” Kylie said.

“It’s so important that we enhance our firefighting capability, especially in urban interface areas like ours where commercial and residential properties are adjacent to rural grasslands and bushlands.”

Junortoun Fire Brigade Captain Heath Martin said the tanker’s ability to carry up to 4,000L of water is a fantastic feature and will better allow them to support their community and the communities that surround them.

“The latest addition of this new heavy tanker also complements our new station which was completed 18 months ago,” Heath said.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Steve Pitcher said both heavy tankers include features to reduce fatigue and improve firefighter safety and ergonomics, including crew protection systems, electric monitors and electric rewind hose reels.

“They will also have a full equipment stowage cache, a 4×4 crew cab chassis with an automatic transmission and will give firefighters peace of mind with a vehicle rollover and burn-over protection system,” Steve said.

Junortoun and Eaglehawk are two of the 48 brigades to receive a new, replacement heavy tanker funded through the Victorian Government’s CFA Capability Funding package to ensure volunteer firefighters are well-equipped to protect their communities.

The package was announced in June 2020 as part of the State Government’s Fire Services Reform. A total of $22.73 million has been invested to produce 48 heavy tankers and two light tankers.