Ballarat firefighters were left without an operational ladder platform truck for three days across the New Year's break after their only truck fell into non-compliance and was deemed unsafe.
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The decision was made by Ballarat Fire Rescue Victoria firefighters to put the large firefighting truck out of use on December 30 - after the 20-year-old machine was overdue on its required safety assessment.
As a result, Ballarat FRV was left without the piece of equipment until January 2, and had to have another ladder platform provided by FRV Dandenong - leaving Dandenong without a vehicle of its kind.
FRV has drawn the ire of the United Firefighters Union, who say mismanagement resulted in error, and called for more investment into what they say is FRV's ageing regional fleet.
Ballarat City senior station officer and United Firefighters Union representative Cory Woodyatt was one of the firefighters on duty in Ballarat on December 30, when the ladder platform was put out of commission.
He said the truck was due for its major compliance inspection on December 19, but an engineer was sent out on November 27 to provide an assessment of the vehicle.
Once the November 27 safety report was finalised, Mr Woodyatt said, the vehicle would have a 12 month extension on its compliance due date.
However, the Ballarat firies did not receive word from FRV regarding the engineer report until January 2, making the decision to retire the vehicle from use out of safety concerns.
"It is no different to a scissor lift that you get from Kennards Hire. They have to make sure that they are continually inspected and that they meet certification," Mr Woodyatt said.
"We tried on multiple occasions throughout the course of the day to get the safety certification from FRV, and they were unable to provide that, they said they didn't have it.
"It compromises firefighter safety, but more importantly community safety.
"Whether it is mismanagement, miscommunication or just error I don't know - but we have a vehicle out of service."
An FRV spokesperson disputed the union's claim, stating the ladder platform had never gone out of compliance.
"At all times, Fire Rescue Victoria ensures that appropriate equipment is deployed to emergencies to protect firefighters and the community," an FRV spokesperson said.
"FRV has 25 specialist aerial appliances across Victoria that can deploy at any time to support firefighters in performing operations.
"Aerial appliances are one part of FRV's firefighting capability and allow for a multilayered attack on a fire.
"The Ballarat ladder platform did not fall out of compliance and is in commission.
"Major inspections on these vehicles occur at five-year intervals. These inspections are incorporated within our rigorous service and maintenance program."
The union also criticised FRV for inaction over its "ageing equipment". Mr Woodyatt said the 20-year-old platform posed a safety risk due to its age, and that other brigades across the state were facing similar issues.
"Fire Rescue Victoria has an ageing fleet. This truck in Ballarat is 20 years of age. It is old enough to vote," Mr Woodyatt said.
"From that perspective it should be being placed out of service right now, based on the fact that it is 20-years-old.
"There is this one here, there is a 20-year-old truck that sits in Bendigo, there is an 18-year-old vehicle that sits at Geelong city, one in Dandenong, one in Traralgon.
"The spare fleet, that we have to be used whilst vehicles are having maintenance done on them, they are 22 to 23 years of age. Those trucks themselves are already failing and starting to break down."
It is not the first time the union has brought up the issue of an aging fleet, with premier Jacinta Allan defending the quality of FRV's vehicles in October 2023.
"I quibble a little bit with your characterisation of the quality of those trucks," she said in 2023.
"I know from the advice I've received from Fire Rescue Victoria that across the state they have more than 90 per cent of their fleet available to respond to callouts.
"The fleet that is not out on the road is constantly being repaired and maintained by their expert teams of mechanics.
"As you'd expect, from time to time, when the fleet responds to an incident, they need to come back to home base and have a bit of maintenance done on them.
"Our focus has been providing the resources to Fire Rescue Victoria to keep our communities safe and provide our firefighters with the equipment that they need."
