The CFA has purchased 50 new tankers ahead of the manufacturer’s discontinuation of the model.
Lined up in CFA’s State Logistics Centre, they will be sent off in small batches to a local specialist body manufacturer Bell Environmental, to be turned into Light Tankers.
CFA’s head of fleet and protective equipment Dan Jones says the process of the build into fire trucks for each tanker should take around six months, with the rollout to brigades to start in mid-2026.
“These light tankers will come equipped with the latest safety features and new firefighting equipment,” he says.
“They’re a low-profile emergency response vehicle with 4×4 manoeuvrability which assists with navigating through busy urban streets or rugged rural terrain.
“It’s also lightweight with the capacity to hold 2,000 litres of water, so they’re a vital asset to our firefighting fleet.
“It was important to ensure we had the stock so we can continue delivering these vital firefighting vehicles to our brigades across the state over the next couple of years.”
The first seven of these new Light Tankers will be delivered next year to Echuca Village, Ellerslie, Greendale, Kingston, Bulart, Corinella and Jamieson brigades.
All seven brigades helped fund those trucks through local community donations and funding grants through the 2024/25 Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP).
CFA is also celebrating the completion of its Radio Replacement Program, just in time for the upcoming fire season.
As one of the biggest investments ever made to CFA, the $138 million dollar program saw the delivery of 18,000 devices across the state, including all mobile and portable devices, bag radios and local bases.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan says the new radios include additional functionality for CFA including GPS on the portable radios and multiband capability to allow direct communication with partner agencies.
“The new radios have great coverage and improved capability in buildings and structures,” he says.
“Our volunteers have reported that the new radios have provided a significant uplift in the way they have been able to communicate with each other, and other emergency services, both in Victoria and border areas with interstate fire services.
“It’s great to see this project come to fruition and I know they’ll be valuable pieces of equipment for many years.”