Canberra's bushfire fleet gets two new trucks with thermal imaging
Two heavy tankers will be ready by 1 October for the ACT bushfire season. Volvo built them using Australian-first safety features.
Canberra's rural fire service is getting two new heavy tankers. The trucks were built with Volvo Australia using features not yet used by other Australian fire services.
The trucks will be based at Gungahlin and Guises Creek brigades. The trucks will be ready by 1 October for the ACT bushfire season.
The trucks have forward-facing infrared cameras that can spot hotspots firefighters may not see with their eyes. A joystick-operated water monitor lets crews stop fires from inside the cabin.
This lowers their exposure to smoke, particles and dangerous conditions. Other safety features include more water capacity, a larger cabin, quieter pumps, and protected fuel and brake lines.
Metal door handles will not melt. Volunteers from both brigades helped design the trucks and finished their training.
The new vehicles replace two trucks that are no longer in use after 15 years.
- 2 heavy tankers
- Trucks deployed
- 1 October
- Operational date
- Gungahlin and Guises Creek
- Brigades receiving trucks
- 15 years
- Service years replaced
Why it mattersFirefighters with better protection and new detection tools respond more safely. This matters during the hot, dry summer forecast for the ACT bushfire season.
AustraliaCanberra residents face an expected hot and dry bushfire season; these trucks improve the response capacity of the ACT's volunteer fire service.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 21 h ago
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