MOUNT Gambier City Council has called for an urgent meeting with Emergency Services Minister Corey Wingard to attempt to secure brand new appliances for the Mount Gambier Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS).
Council will work alongside Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell to arrange a meeting to attempt to secure a pod truck and a 3000L urban interface pump rescue appliance.
The appliances – which have more capacity and capability than the current trucks – will improve the flexibility and range of services for the City of Mount Gambier.
Councillor Paul Jenner has actively lobbied for the appliances after identifying a shortfall in the current fleet at the Mount Gambier MFS station.
“We need to go and knock on the door of the Minister because we cannot keep having the trucks go to the metropolitan area,” he said.
“The equipment used in Mount Gambier is in need of upgrade and modernisation to protect our community and our assets.”
“We are the biggest city outside of Adelaide and even Port Pirie has newer trucks than us.”
Minister Wingard recently announced the MFS would buy four new “turnkey” fire trucks as part of its 2019/20 capital works program.
However, there has been no indication one of the appliances will join the Mount Gambier fleet.
“This meeting is extremely urgent because there are four new trucks he announced a few months ago and we want to be a part of the action,” Cr Jenner said.
“We cannot wait years, we need to put our hand up now.”
A new pump rescue urban interface appliance would be able to hold 1200L more water than the current comparative appliance at the station.
It would also provide burn over protection, which Cr Jenner said was a key feature given the rural landscape surrounding the Mount Gambier station.
“Around 12 to 13 years ago we got 50pc more rural land off Grant District Council and we have only got one 1000L truck with burn over protection,” he said.
“That’s around the same as what can go on the back of farmer’s ute, so you can see that if we have a big fire on the outskirts of the city, the MFS is going to be really pushed to assist because they do not have adequate units.”
The last “new” truck the Mount Gambier station received was a combined aerial pumping appliance in 2016.
However, the appliance was actually built in 2014 and had been used at a metropolitan station for two years before it arrived in Mount Gambier.
Cr Jenner highlighted a statistic in the South Australian 2015/16 MFS annual report, which showed only 9.8pc of regional appliances are under the age of 10 years compared to 52.8pc of Metropolitan appliances.
In the three previous roll-outs of new trucks, Port Pirie is the only regional centre to receive one.
“Port Pirie has 14,000 people we have nearly 30,000 with four timber mills, why are we being treated less than them?” Cr Jenner said.
“They are giving the Country Fire Service all these new trucks as well, all we need to ask will be included.
“We need to go up to Adelaide and ask ‘when are you going to replace these trucks’?”
