No fire fighting trucks available at Darwin Fire Station, large buildings at risk: Sources

No fire fighting trucks available at Darwin Fire Station, large buildings at risk: Sources

by | Jul 14, 2022 | News | 0 comments

The main fire station at Stuart Park is without a fire truck this morning, putting the Darwin CBD at “huge risk” because of an inability to fight fires in apartments and large buildings, the United Workers Union have said.

Other fire services sources, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed there were no “fire appliances” at the Stuart Park Station, and there was no aerial truck for the whole of the Darwin region.

Aerial trucks are equipped with a hydraulically operated ladder, so firefighters are currently unable to respond to fires in apartments and large commercial buildings.

It’s understood the Darwin region has also been reliant on “second string appliances” for weeks, including rural tankers that do not have the capacity needed to fight fires at large buildings and commercial premises.

The sources said in Stuart Park there is usually a main pump/rescue tanker, and Bronto the aerial tanker with a 45m ladder. The backup vehicles are two 18-metre-high aerial tankers, but it’s understood both are broken down with major issues.

The bronto went for servicing on July 4 and will not be back for at least another week, a source said.

“If a major fire were to break out, we’d be standing around with our thumbs up our arses,” one source said.

Another source said while vehicles are routinely shuffled, the current situation “highlights the fragility of the fire service due to decades of under-funding”.

“There is a plan in place but it is going to be years of ongoing replacements and growth to properly resource the fire service into the future,” the source said.

“It is because of poor strategic planning and gross under-funding of the fire service whilst police receive massive funding boosts year after year.”

United Workers Union NT secretary Erina Early said there were no trucks at all at Stuart Park station for the day and there was no fire tender vehicle – essentially a vehicle with emergency equipment for firefighters – at the Mararra Station.

“There is no aerial truck which is concerning,” Ms Early said.

“It puts the CBD under huge risk, and there is no emergency tender at Mararra station because it has tyre damage, and there are no replacement tyres in the country.”

Another fire services source said he was optimistic the trucks would be “a quick fix”, however it is understood the larger bronto will not be available again for more than a week.

There are also fire stations in Berrimah and Palmerston.

NT Police Fire and Emergency Services has been contacted for comment.

 

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