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A CFA led exercise saw over 150 emergency services personnel join forces at a simulated rescue at Arthurs Seat Eagle (ASE) to ensure they are equipped should the situation arise.
The popular tourist attraction on the Mornington Peninsula closed their doors on Wednesday, 17 September to allow members of CFA, VICSES, FRV, Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police, and the Mornington Peninsula Shire to test their management plan.
The multi-faceted drill tested their high angle capabilities in tough terrain and extensive teamwork to rescue and extricate 24 trapped passengers safely from six gondolas, including helping a person in a wheelchair, and with a guide dog and baby.
Dromana Fire Brigade 1st Lieutenant and exercise Incident Controller Jason Fevola said it was a beneficial day to have agencies come together and test abilities and strengths, to be ready for the busy season which is about to arrive.
"The scene was complex, and it had its challenges, but the team are well drilled from ASE rescue and were well supported by all agencies," Jason said.
"Days like this are fantastic to test and train our joint response, making sure we've got everything ironed out, so if something does happen in the future, we're well prepared to protect our community.
"The gondola is a really unique resource and although we have similar in the ski fields and other alpine regions, in this area, teams really need to be familiar with what goes on and how we undertake a rescue."
An Incident Management Team (IMT) lead by Jason deployed the appointment of resources from the staging area, with the controlled environment allowing for clear communication and adaptability.
While there is no room for error, Jason said it would take more than one crew to complete this rescue on any given day, and CFA's new drone technology was a major asset to the experiment.
"Everyone got a chance to test their technology, and this year CFA has introduced drone capability, which gives us live visibility shots that go straight back to our IMT," Jason said.
"We saw things we wouldn't usually have been able to, which allowed us to make decisions simultaneously."
CFA Assistant Chief Fire Officer District 8 Sean Kerr said the operation provided an opportunity for local personnel to practice rescue response in the case ASE have a mechanical failure.
"In this situation, trained ASE rescuers zipline to the gondola roof before abseiling down to the gondola doors to attach trapped passengers to a harness and safely lower them to the ground," Sean said.
"It requires a lot of training and practice, and we need to understand the complexities of undertaking rescues within these systems, so we know exactly where the issues are.
"We've seen a huge leap forward in technology with the drones being utilised by CFA and FRV, and the live feed was invaluable to keep us up to date with how quickly things were happening.
"We'll take the key lessons learned across the agencies, review them, and put them into future planning and responses."
