A group of CFA firefighters are ready to fight fires in remote areas across the state following seven weeks of intensive training to become arduous firefighters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pilot program is a first for CFA where 15 arduous firefighters will have the capability to attack and suppress fires in difficult terrain that aren\u2019t accessible via a fire truck or aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That crew is made up of volunteer firefighters who respond to different types of scenarios, including lightning strikes, bushfires and preventative works such as backburning operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They can be deployed to a remote area for up to 24 hours, can carry up to 20kg in their packs and are trained to walk within 45 minutes from a vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also carry a range of mechanical tools such as chainsaws, leaf blowers, hose lay packs and small pumps, to help them create fire breaks or directly suppress fires by pumping water directly from a nearby creek or dam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Corio Fire Brigade volunteer and Remote Arduous Firefighting team leader Bradley Coulter has been part of the pilot program for a year where he has helped identify what equipment was needed and helps coordinate the response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The team is incredibly fit and has the specialist skills and the endorsement to operate in remote areas where we don’t have a dedicated vehicle to support us,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our aim is to be rapidly inserted somewhere to get on top of small events before they become big events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It\u2019s been an intense journey but I\u2019m exceptionally proud of the team and the camaraderie we\u2019ve created.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said about 60 per cent of Victoria has privately owned land and a large portion of that is bushland so it was important to increase our capability to help further protect lives and property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“These arduous firefighters give CFA a complementary service alongside our partner agency, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) to work together to protect communities across the state,” Jason said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The crew will not only be a great asset for Victoria, they can also be deployed to support the suppression of interstate fires too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This team has worked incredibly hard over several months and should be proud of what they\u2019ve achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Thanks to the NSW Rural Fire Service delivering the specialised training, our arduous firefighting team is ready to respond.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CFA will evaluate the use and effectiveness of the arduous crew at the end of this fire season with the hope to extend the program further in 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A group of CFA firefighters are ready to fight fires in remote areas across the state following seven weeks of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":27310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15],"tags":[108,159],"ppma_author":[5225],"class_list":["post-27309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-latest-news","tag-macedon-ranges","tag-mount-alexander"],"yoast_head":"\n