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Local MP and Premier Jacinta Allan officially handing over new tanker
Sedgwick Fire Brigade has officially received its new heavy tanker at a ceremony attended by the Premier of Victoria and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan.
The $430,000 tanker is just one of 95 new heavy tankers being rolled out across the state since 2020, all funded by the Victorian Government.
Sedgwick Captain Brendan Drechsler said it was an exciting new era for the community.
"When I found out we were going to get a tanker, I went home and thought ‘how lucky are we!’" he said.
"When I sat down and thought about it, there's not a major strike team that we haven't been on in the last few years. We are very active, have good community spirit and youth in our brigade."
“The new truck will make a huge difference when fighting fires. It’s extremely important to have the extra water and the improvements, such as the front-mounted monitor.
“And better to have our crew safely in the truck in case of a burn-over, and much bigger pumps. It is an exciting time for the brigade.”
The brigade’s former tanker will be handed to The Preservation Society, which has been providing full restoration services since 1986.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said the new state-of-the-art assets were a welcome addition to CFA brigades across Victoria ahead of the looming bushfire season.
“The heavy tankers feature a 15-tonne crew-cab chassis with a 4000-water litre tank, electronic monitor operated from within the cabin and electric rewind hose reels,” CO Heffernan said.
“Their 4x4 capability and automatic transmission will help crews access fires in difficult terrain.
“The heavy tankers also have a 1200 litres per minute diesel engine-driven firefighting pump, crew/vehicle rollover and burn-over protection and full equipment stowage cache.”
The new vehicle has been funded through the Victorian Government base capital fleet replacement funding.
Captain Brendan Drechsler was also presented with a 50 years service award and a CFA lifetime membership award.
Also on display was a local book about the history of Sedgwick that was written by three locals and includes the history of the Sedgwick CFA. The book is a best seller with 120 copies printed and five unsold.