United Firefighters Union calls for more rescue equipment in Ballarat

The union says the greater Ballarat region has gone backwards when it comes to specialist resources - with trench rescue equipment being sent away from the city in 2014 - and a confined space rescue vehicle posted elsewhere in 2020.

On Tuesday morning firefighters launched an illuminated billboard campaign in Curtis Street - demanding a Heavy Tech Rescue Vehicle be stationed in Ballarat.

Fire Rescue Victoria's Luke Shearer said the issue had been met with silence from the Andrews Government.

"There are two of these vehicles in Melbourne just gathering dust," the Lucas station officer said.

"They are used as backups if similar vehicles in Warrnambool or Melbourne are out of service.

"They're just not being used for their intended purpose."

Mr Shearer said the UFU would also like to see at least 10 firefighters in Ballarat trained to use the million-dollar vehicles, so that every shift across the week was covered.

"Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes says there are trench rescue firefighters already in Ballarat - but that's just not true. We don't have enough."

Mr Shearer said that on any given day 150 excavators were working in Ballarat - where the population is growing by 2.75 per cent a year.

The next nearest heavy Tech Rescue Vehicles are based in Richmond (119km away) and Warrnambool (171km).

"When they put that vehicle in Warrnambool it was not strategic because half that area - about 180 degrees around - is ocean," Mr Shearer said.

"Any specialist vehicle for a trench or confined space rescue is two hours away from us at the moment."

Mr Shearer said the vehicle they now used for trench rescues was a two-wheel-drive Ford Ranger ute, based at Lucas.

"We really need this. There've been 40 'technical' rescues across Ballarat and western Victoria over the last two years - and that includes high-angle jobs in the Grampians and at Mount Arapiles."

It comes more than four years after the death of Charlie Howkins and and Jack Brownlee at a trench collapse in Delacombe.

Mr Shearer said it was not clear if the equipment could have saved the Ballarat co-workers, who were inundated with tonnes of sandy soil with no trench guards.

"It's a hard question," he said.

"(In their case) we'll never really know the impact of not having that specialist equipment here."

The UFU has paid an undisclosed sum for the Curtis Street billboard, that flashes different advertising messages every few seconds.

Ms Symes has responded to today's launch:

"The deaths of Mr Howkins and Mr Brownlee was a devastating event which had a profound impact on our emergency services and ultimately Victorian workplace safety laws," she said.

"We know that technical rescue is an important part of the service that our firefighters provide to the community - that's why we ensured Fire Rescue Victoria continued to have the necessary resources they need for this service.

"Ballarat is classified as a Technical Rescue station, which means there are specialist staff and rescue equipment on site for immediate use when needed."

She said Ballarat had a range of equipment that could be used "to support" a trench rescue including a technical rescue vehicle, hazardous materials (HAZMAT) truck, ladder platform (aerial appliance) and three pumper appliances with basic rescue gear.

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