By DANIEL TRAN: dtran@mmpgroup.com.au
DANDENONG Country Fire Authority aims to be fully prepared for serious bushfire threats, having begun construction of a state-of-the-art emergency management complex in Dandenong South.
The CFA’s new headquarters, on Princes Highway, will bring together the emergency service’s incident-control centre, district command centre and regional control centre.
Work also has started on a 24-hour fire station on Princes Highway.
The projects, costing $14.7 million, are expected to be completed by next year and will deliver more than 310 construction jobs.
However, the state government announcement last week was marred by criticism from the firefighters’ union about low staffing levels.
CFA regional director Peter Schmidt said the $3.5 million headquarters project would amalgamate different arms of the service.
“Currently, we often manage major incidents across a number of different incident-control centres,” Mr Schmidt said.
“This will bring them together so there are efficiencies in that, in terms of our expertise and management. It’ll help us provide a greater level of protection to communities.”
The headquarters, to be built on the site of the former Holden plant, which shut in 1996, will house staff from Oakleigh, Dandenong, Pakenham and Moorooduc.
United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall said that while members welcomed the announcement of new buildings, staffing levels remained a concern.
“Local firefighters are under further strain because of the effective closure of the volunteer brigade at Noble Park, which no longer has a primary response area, and only responds to fire calls when it wishes,” he said.
“Dandenong has a staff of nine firefighters per shift and seven appliances. [It] needs an extra three firefighters per shift, minimum.”
Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells said the government rejected the union’s claims.
“This is the same organisation which said there will be a $40 million cut to the CFA budget,” he said. “In fact, there was a
$31 million increase in the budget so the UFU can never, ever get their numbers right.”
Mr Schmidt said: “The CFA has programs in place where additional firefighters are being taken on board. The CFA is putting those positions in place.”
