The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is prepared to battle summer fires with its aerial fleet unveiled and specialist rappel firefighters recruited, trained and ready for action.
Senior Aviation Officer at DELWP, Bryan Rees said Victoria’s rappel program was the only such program in Australia.
“DELWP has used helicopter rappelling techniques to fight fires since 1985,” Mr Rees said.
“With much of Victoria’s public land being difficult to access, the rappel techniques allow firefighting crews to gain access to remote, inaccessible fires,” he said.
“The airborne crews rappel from helicopters hovering up to 300 feet above the ground and then use dry firefighting techniques such as constructing mineral earth control lines with rakehoes to control fires in remote areas.”
Mr Rees said that at other times, rappel crews could be called on to build helipads in remote country for helicopters to deliver additional firefighting personnel and equipment for larger or more difficult fires.
He said DELWP currently had 36 personnel directly involved in the rappel program, with two eight-person crews based at both Ovens and Heyfield work centres.
Unveiling the State’s aerial firefighting fleet, Minister for Emergency Services, Jaclyn Symes said a new addition to the fleet of 50 aircraft was the Black Hawk, able to hold up to 4,000 litres of water and drop fire retardant and foam.
“The CH47 Chinook returns for a second year – capable of holding 11,000 litres of water it is the highest volume helicopter in the fleet and is a vital asset in firefighting operations,” Ms Symes said.
“The fleet also includes two Large Air Tankers, other Type 1 helicopters including a Super Puma and an Aircrane and 14 single engine air tankers including one Fireboss,” she said.
“Victoria also has a surge capacity of up to 100 aircraft that can supplement the core fleet and be called upon when needed,” the Minister said.
