Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes unveiled the fleet at Avalon Airport today, alongside representatives from CFA, FFMVic, FRV, and VICSES.
A new addition to Victoria’s base fleet of 50 aircraft is the Black Hawk, which can hold up to 4,000 litres of water and can also drop retardant and foam.
The fleet also includes two Large Air Tankers, a CH47 Chinook, and other Type 1 helicopters including a Super Puma and an Aircrane.
The latest Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for summer indicates Victoria will experience normal fire potential for the north and west, with the risk of grass fires increasing as grasses dry out. Below normal fire potential is forecast for areas including eastern parts of the state this summer.
Whether it is for fires or for floods, the Victorian Government will continue to do everything it can to keep communities safe.
Aircraft have already played a key role during the flood response, with more than 1800 aircraft movements since 1 October, transporting emergency services workers and to survey impacted areas.
Aircraft have also been deployed for fire response, including to seven fires since the start of November.
Victoria also has a surge capacity of up to 100 aircraft that can supplement the Victorian core fleet and can be called when needed, including thousands of dedicated emergency services workers from across all agencies.
For more information on how you can prepare for fires and other emergencies, download the VicEmergency app or visit emergency.vic.gov.au.
** EMV issued media release
Photos by CFA Media