$146m boost for emergency response systems

$146m boost for emergency response systems

6 May 2009

published by www.weeklytimesnow.com.au

USA — The Victorian Government will spend $146.5 million on the state’s emergency response system, after it was catastrophically overloaded during Black Saturday’s fires.

Treasurer John Lenders said the 2009 Budget would provide $56.2 million to the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority to better manage calls and dispatch units with the Country Fire Authority, Ambulance Victoria and the State Emergency Service.

An additional $57.1 million would be spent on new radios and upgrades of the SES and CFA radio and pager networks, with another $33.2 million to be spent on the Department of Sustainability and Environment pagers and radios.

The decision was welcomed by Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria president Gary Lyttle, who said it would address the failure of CFA volunteers’ non-emergency pagers during the recent fires.

“During the fires the non-emergency pagers, which we use to rustle up strike teams, were overloaded,” Mr Lyttle said.

“So this money will be very useful and hopefully addresses some of the problems the (Victorian Bushfire) Royal Commission is likely to raise (on communications).”

Police and Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron said the Budget would also deliver a significant boost to the CFA and State Emergency Services equipment and infrastructure, including:

$21.1 million to replace 87 CFA appliances over the next year.

$10.3 million to replace 15 heavy rescue vehicles, seven four-wheel-drive vehicles, nine rescue boats and 11 road crash rescue kits at VICSES units across Victoria.

$10.3 million for 42 ultra-light tankers.