The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is helping schoolkids isolated by floodwaters to get to school, with firefighters establishing a novel school pick-up and drop-off service.
CFA Commander Phil Rogan said major flooding had impacted the Echuca township in the State’s north in many ways, including cutting off road access to community infrastructure and services such as schools.
“When asked by the team at the Regional Control Centre, Bainbridge brigade volunteer Hardy Clemens offered his ex-military 1985 Unimog vehicle to help transport school children safely across the floodwater,” Commander Rogan said.
“They’ve organised Echuca CFA members to organise a pick-up point and help coordinate the safe transportation across the floodwater each morning and afternoon,” he said.
“This is a perfect example of local people meeting local needs.”
Commander Rogan said CFA members and the Regional Control Centre had arranged two pick-up and drop-off trips each day and would offer the service for as long as it was needed.
Mr Clemens said his Unimog truck was approved to drive safely through floodwater thanks to its fording depth of up to 1.2 metres, “which gives it the ability to effortlessly pass through waters up to that level”.
“We pick the kids up in the morning on one side and travel through up to 500 metres of floodwater and get them to the ‘dry side’, where they can safely make their way to school,” Mr Clemens said.
“The vehicle is kitted out with personal floatation devices and is much safer to drive through this level of floodwater than an ordinary vehicle.”
While it’s not a conventional form of school transport, he said the Unimog truck got an A+ from the local kids, with lots of smiles as they hopped aboard.
“They were rapt to get taken to school in the truck. It was pretty special for them,” Mr Clemens said.
