New tanker rolls into malsmbury fire brigade

A new medium tanker is helping Malmsbury Fire Brigade keep the local community safe, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas officially handed over the 2750-litre tanker on Sunday and congratulated the volunteer brigade for their dedicated service to the community.

The vehicle is a welcome boost to the brigade’s firefighting capacity, both locally and as part of strike teams deployed across the state. The new vehicle also provides the volunteer firefighters greater safety when attacking fires.

It can carry a crew of five firefighters, as well as the equipment needed to respond to fires and other emergencies.

The Labor Government provided $375,000 in the 2017-18 budget for the new tanker and two new sets of breathing apparatus for the brigade.

These breathing apparatuses give fire fighters greater capacity to combat fires in structures and areas of heavy and toxic smoke, providing them with a clean supply of oxygen.

Malmsbury Fire Brigade was founded in 1929, and currently has 31 members, with almost one-third of them under 30 years of age.

The brigade is the busiest Class 3 brigade in the state, attending on average over 150 fires and incidents every year.

It has sent strike teams to some of the biggest emergencies in the state’s history, including the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983 and the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas:
"I congratulate the Malmsbury Fire Brigade on its continued ability to serve not just our community but those that call on them in their time of need anywhere across the state."

"As the busiest Class 3 brigade in the state, Malmsbury’s volunteer firefighters do a wonderful job protecting the local community, and this new tanker is an excellent addition to its capabilities."

"This is another example of how the Andrews Labor Government is supporting our CFA volunteers with the equipment needed to keep Victorians safe."