CFA has welcomed an agreement that will see the introduction of common breathing apparatus across the fire services, Ambulance Victoria and Corrections Victoria.
The new self-contained breathing apparatus will mean firefighters from both CFA and MFB will be able to use breathing apparatus interchangeably during joint operations.
CFA Chief Officer Steve Warrington said the new breathing apparatus will improve safety and interagency coordination during major incidents.
“The roll out of common breathing apparatus is a significant boost to firefighter safety, and will also benefit other hardworking emergency services personnel,” Mr Warrington said.
“This is all about improving interoperability, driving efficiency and boosting safety for all firefighters.
“The days of breathing equipment from different emergency services being incompatible with each other will soon be over.”
MFB Acting Chief Officer Greg Leach said the new BA sets will significantly improve the welfare of firefighters on the frontline across the state and the wider community.
“The new BA equipment will improve the safety of our personnel, increase our efficiency and will enable MFB and CFA to work together seamlessly at incidents.
“It’s a great outcome for firefighters and emergency responders. The new BA sets mean the Victorian Community will continue to have access to a world-class fire and emergency service,” Mr Leach said.
The State Government-funded roll out of G1 self-contained breathing apparatus will see CFA initially purchase nearly 2500 sets, while MFB will buy about 650 sets.
The $15 million agreement with MSA Safety represents a wholesale replacement of all breathing apparatus across fire services and Ambulance Victoria.
For the first time, uniform breathing apparatus was procured across the emergency services together, providing invaluable interoperable service delivery.
“This is a win for firefighters across Victoria,” Mr Warrington said.
The first sets are expected to arrive by May 2018, with training and deployment planned for the following months. The full roll out of the apparatus is expected to take around 18 months.
For more information visit CFA Online (CFA members only), contact MFB Media on 9665 4699 or media@mfb.vic.gov.au, or CFA Media on 1300 CFA MEDIA (24 hours) or cfamedia@cfa.vic.gov.au