The Maiden Gully Fire Brigade is one of the newest volunteer brigades in Victoria having only been formed in April 1998. Our role is to provide a fire and emergency service for Maiden Gully’s residential population of over 3000 people within a primary response area of 29.5 square kilometers and support other Brigades. The district is an identified growth corridor within the City of Greater Bendigo comprising a wide diversity of risk associated with the urban interface area of Maiden Gully and a significant amount of bushland and nature reserves. Special risks include over 850 homes, a primary school (380 students), the Balgownie Winery, a large restaurant and tavern, a general store, the Atisha Centre (residential Buddhist temple), three halls, the busy Calder Highway, a rail freight line and some small primary holdings. Bendigo is a provincial city situated 150 kilometers north west of Melbourne (State Capital) with a population of 90 000 people.

Over the past 12 months, the Brigade has responded to 30 emergency calls that have often involved helping other communities as well as our own. Last summer, Brigade members provided over 3,200 volunteer hours to fighting the Alpine Fires. Our 49 adult members contribute over 500 hours each month to this vital community service. This time involves attending emergencies, meetings, training, equipment maintenance, fire prevention work and publicity, other community service activities (e.g. Royal Children’s Hospital) along with raising funds. Since formation, our fundraising efforts have seen us raise $50,000 towards the cost of a large two bay fire station (opened in April 2002), $12,000 towards additional firefighting equipment and $34,000 towards a second firefighting vehicle (commissioned March 2003). We are proud of our endeavors to provide our rapidly growing community with a first class fire service which is now commensurate with that available in the more established areas of Bendigo.

The Maiden Gully Fire Brigade is an organization whose members strives for excellence and recognize their responsibility to:

• Work together as a team for a safer community.
• Fulfill their obligations to the community and the Country Fire Authority in a professional and competent manner.
• Practice and maintain a high degree of self-discipline.
• Respect the dignity of themselves and others.
• Make every effort to prevent loss, damage and injury occurring to any person, property or the environment.

In Victoria, the Fire Service outside the center of Melbourne is provided by the Country Fire Authority’s 1228 Brigades. Most of these are volunteer Brigades. However, in high risk urban areas, such as Bendigo, the Brigade covering the Central Business District has a mixture of career and volunteer firefighters. The CFA provides each Brigade with basic firefighting equipment that is appropriate to the risk in the particular Brigade area. Many CFA Brigades have only a Tanker (grassfire unit) as their Brigade area has very few houses and perhaps not even a town. Brigades with a larger structural risk would be provided with both a Tanker and a Pumper. Brigades with career staff and multi-story buildings are provided with aerial appliances. Through local fundraising, Brigades supplement the basic equipment provided by the CFA.

Prior to the arrival of the current Tanker in September 1999, the Brigade operated with a succession of International tankers that were at the end of their operational life. The Isuzu 2.2D was built by the Country Fire Authority at its Ballarat Truck Manufacturing Plant in 1989 and initially allocated to Scoresby in Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges. After a major overhaul at the CFA’s Kangaroo Flat Workshop, it was handed over to Maiden Gully on September 12^th, 1999.

Applications

The unit can convey a crew of six and the necessary fire fighting equipment to the fire ground where it can be used to pump water from the tank, open water or street mains. The vehicle has been modified with additional lockers and a live hose reel to provide for structural as well as wildfire fire fighting.

Vehicle Type: 2.2D Tanker Registration: MWH 621

Built: 1989 To Maiden Gully: 12.9.1999

Cab Chassis: Isuzu FSR 12 FRA series two wheel drive

Power plant: 6.494 liter Isuzu 6BGI diesel.

Transmission: Isuzu MBG6P, 6 speed manual gearbox.

Communications: Motorola MCS 2000 Mobile & Motorola MTS 2000 portable.

Water Capacity: 2000 liters with A class foam capability.

Pump: GAAM Mk 250 Pump powered by a Lombardini Diesel engine.

Pump Capacity: Maximum flow of 950 liters per minute and delivering 580 liters per minute at 700 kpa.

Other Equipment:

• Two Sabre Centurion CABA sets with spare cylinders.
• Smallaire Positive Pressure Fan
• 240m of 38mm hose
• 100m of 64mm hose
• Range of branches, nozzles and adaptors.
• Salvage and forcible entry equipment
• Fire extinguishers and small tools
• Hand tools such as Rakehoes, shovel and axe.

 

The need for a four wheel drive light tanker was first highlighted in the Brigade’s Risk Analysis that was completed in 1999. Standard tankers have difficulty accessing the dry schlerophyll forest that makes up more than 60% of the Brigade’s area. While a small four wheel drive could get in quickly, locate the fire and contain it. Although priority for fundraising had to go towards fire station construction, in 2000 the Brigade built the Slip-On module based on the DNRE design and mounted it in a trailer. With the Fire Station virtually completed, the Brigade made application through the Government’s Community Safety Emergency Support Program (CSESP) for funds to proceed in purchasing a Toyota Land Cruiser 78 Cab Chassis with alloy tray. Success of this application was announced in October 2002 with the unit being officially commissioned by Bob Cameron MLA on Sunday, March 16^th. Financial support also came from the Annie Danks Trust and the Freemasons Public Charitable Foundation.

Having a second fire fighting vehicle adds enormously to the flexibility of operation of the Maiden Gully Fire Brigade. It enables the Brigade to provide an enhanced fire suppression capability in the Maiden Gully area and to provide greater support to neighboring communities and those throughout the region. As well as fighting fires, the unit is used for personnel transport, plug inspections, fire equipment maintenance and assisting with the Kangaroo Flat Secondary College Youth Crew.

Vehicle Type: Slip-On Registration: SCP 933

Built: 2003 To Maiden Gully: 12.2.2003 (new)

Cab Chassis: Toyota Land Cruiser 78 four wheel drive.

Power plant: 6 cylinder diesel.

Transmission: Toyota, 5 speed manual gearbox.

Communications: Motorola MCS 2000 Mobile & Motorola MTS 2000 portable.

Water Capacity: 400 liters with A class foam capability.

Pump: Regent 3PKT Pump powered by a 5hp Honda petrol engine.

Other Equipment: 3KVA generator and lights, hand tools, drip torch, extinguishers, hose and couplings and tool box.

A Slip-On is a small fire appliance that is built up on a standard one ton four wheel drive cab-chassis. The fire fighting capability comes from a module consisting of a 400 liter tank, a pump and other fire suppression tools that can be slipped onto the vehicles tray when required. This enables the unit to be used for other purposes (e.g. Park Management) and updated economically. Throughout Australia, a number of fire services have employed the Slip-On concept. Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment makes considerable use of these versatile units. At Maiden Gully, the firefighting module remains on the vehicle throughout the year.

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