Victoria’s aerial firefighting fleet of 50 aircrafts is prepared to respond to any fires, including those in Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay, that may happen over summer.
Emergency services minister Jaclyn Symes unveiled the fleet on December 15 at Avalon Airport.
While it’s been a wet start to summer, the risk of fires is always there – so it’s vital we have the resources on standby ready to keep Victorians safe,” she said.
A new addition to Victoria’s base fleet of 50 aircrafts is the Black Hawk which can hold up to 4000 litres of water and can also drop fire retardant and foam.
The CH47 Chinook returns for a second year, is capable of holding 11,000 litres of water, is the highest volume helicopter in the fleet and is a vital asset in firefighting operations.
Victoria also has a surge capacity of up to 100 aircraft that can supplement the core fleet and be called upon when needed, including support from thousands of dedicated emergency services workers from across all agencies.
Aircraft have also been deployed for fire response including to seven fires since the start of November.
Details: emergency.vic.gov.au
