Tasmanian Firefighters are facing a fire season in unsafe equipment due to the inaction of Minister Ellis and the Department of Police Fire and Emergency Services.
Firefighters across the state have been raising serious concerns about the safety conditions they are being expected to work under, with responses to these issues from Minister Ellis taking months.
Felix Ellis' department has finally agreed to get an independent report done due to concerns from firefighters at the reactive and potentially life-threatening response.
The solutions to overweight vehicles have included having the firetrucks carry less water, removing their spare wheel, and making modifications to vehicles to get them to weight without independent engineering or HSR advice.
They have now had to permanently decommission 20 trucks. The 10 replacement vehicles for them are only temporary and not fit for purpose.
There are currently 55 vehicles that do not meet the current safety standards and need to be modified.
These conditions are being pushed upon our firefighting service at a time when the TFS is already critically under resourced and desperately looking for savings to meet its existing roles.
Minister Ellis must provide the necessary support and funding for the TFS so that the work on these vehicles is independent, that the solutions are consulted and transparent, are in line with their legal health and safety obligations to provide a safe workplace, and that firefighters are not put at risk with unsafe equipment.
We are heading into a fire season without the appropriate resources. Tasmanians deserve better than what they are getting from the Liberal Government.
Michelle O'Byrne MP
Shadow Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management
