Page 115 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 12 February 2020
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fully trained to drive with lights and sirens in another Australian jurisdiction then surely they should have that knowledge recognised when they transfer to the ACT.
I turn now to the issue of breathing masks for RFS volunteers. The whole community has learnt a lot about breathing masks over this period. It is important to note that RFS volunteers are issued with P2 masks to protect them from inhaling dangerous smoke and fumes; however, the current masks have several issues which make them less than adequate, including not sealing well. Particularly for members with facial hair, the masks are prone to collapse. They are ignitable by embers—a somewhat troubling problem, as they are issued to firefighters.
It has been suggested to me that the ACT government has been warned of the risks to health of using inappropriate masks, which may leave the government liable under work health and safety laws. I understand that the ACT RFS is currently running a trial of better respiratory masks; however, it is unclear when such masks would be rolled out to frontline firefighters, whether there is funding available, what criteria will deem a mask to be suitable, and what independent subject matter experts will be consulted during this trial. Other jurisdictions, such as Queensland and Western Australia, already provide better respiratory protection to bushfire fighters, so it is unclear why the ACT government still has not. I think this is something we must definitely look into and resolve.
Another issue is ageing fire trucks. Historically, the process for RFS vehicle turnover has been to replace light units, such as command vehicles and Land Cruiser units, every 10 years, and heavy units, such as medium and heavy trucks, every 15 years. However, these time intervals have increased during the last three to four years, seemingly by stealth, and with little to no consultation with RFS personnel. An ageing fleet presents a number of issues, such as vehicle safety, lower trade-in value, higher maintenance costs and reduced access to replacement parts, and having a workforce that is sufficiently skilled at working on older vehicles, not to mention the environmental emissions, which I am sure my colleagues on the other side would care passionately about as well. Perhaps the RFS should instead consider a lower age limit for vehicles, such as 10 years, and hold that as a hard ceiling. This is yet another area we must look into and have clear, open resolution on.
I turn, now, to the rollover and falling object protection systems—ROPS and FOPS. If this fire season has taught us anything, it is the tragic and deadly risk of vehicle rollovers and falling trees. I understand that many, if not all, of the ACT Rural Fire Service vehicles do not have falling object protection systems installed, which are the large bars or cages over the top of vehicle cabs. I am told that even the newer RFS light units have not been fitted with such protective systems. I am sure that we would all share a concern about that.
The Chief Minister, during a recent press conference, suggested that the ADF could be used on a regular basis to prepare for the bushfire season. I think it is something to look into, though I note that the Orroral Valley fire was ignited by a Defence helicopter—a demonstration that the ADF and its equipment is not tailored for this kind of bushfire work. The ADF buys equipment with overseas use in mind, and
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