In the fast-paced world of emergency services, response times are a critical metric. When it comes to Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), a professional firefighting agency in Victoria, Australia, there's a growing concern. FRV has consistently missed its target response time for structural fires since its inception in 2020, and the situation is particularly dire in the outer suburban areas it was meant to serve better.
The data speaks for itself: FRV has failed to meet its target of responding to 90% of structural fires within the benchmark time of 7 minutes and 42 seconds every year. This is despite a significant increase in budget, with wages alone rising by almost $200 million since 2020.
The United Firefighters Union (UFU) argues that the state government has not adequately resourced the restructure, leaving FRV struggling to keep up with the demands of the fast-growing outer suburbs. A tragic incident in Werribee, where a three-year-old boy lost his life in a house fire, has brought this issue into sharp focus. The fire crew's response time was well outside the benchmark, and the UFU believes that with proper resources, this tragedy could have been averted.
Former emergency management commissioner Craig Lapsley highlights the challenges FRV faces in serving outer-suburban areas with rapidly expanding populations and complex road networks. He emphasizes the need for additional fire trucks and crews to address these growing demands and the increasing complexity of calls.
The 2017 fire services overhaul, led by then-premier Daniel Andrews, aimed to modernize a system that had remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. The goal was to ensure that all Victorians, regardless of where they live, could rely on modern and local fire services for their safety. However, the UFU secretary Peter Marshall argues that while the restructure was designed correctly, the necessary funding has not followed through.
Marshall points out that since FRV's establishment, not a single new fire station has been built, and no communities have been brought into the FRV fire district. He believes that the Allan government's underinvestment in fire stations and firefighters is a direct cause of FRV's struggles to protect life and property in these growing outer-city suburbs.
The financial figures paint a concerning picture. In its first year, FRV's costs amounted to $918 million, with employee expenses accounting for a significant portion. These costs have only increased, reaching $1.227 billion in the last financial year, with employee expenses hitting $953 million. This rise in costs is partly due to the significant pay rises secured by the UFU through their industrial battle, which ultimately led to the restructure and the replacement of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) with FRV.
Despite the improvements in response times for medical emergencies and road crashes, FRV's performance in structural fires remains a cause for concern. The agency's own data shows that some of the worst-performing stations are in former CFA areas that transitioned to FRV through the 2020 reforms. Stations like Caroline Springs, Tarneit, and Point Cook are struggling to meet the benchmark, with response times well outside the target.
Liberal MP Nick McGowan, the opposition spokesman for FRV, puts it bluntly: "Growth corridors are exploding in population but completely left behind in fire safety infrastructure." He believes that these outer growth suburbs are not getting the resources they desperately need, leaving locals less likely to receive timely fire protection.
While Victoria's overall fire services expenditure has risen slightly since the 2020 reforms, the question remains: Is it enough? FRV's spokesperson acknowledges the different response time benchmarks for the absorbed CFA stations and states that they are working hard to meet the new target. However, the data suggests that more needs to be done to ensure the safety of Victorians, especially in these rapidly growing outer suburban areas.
In my opinion, this issue goes beyond response times and budgets. It's about the very real impact on people's lives and the sense of security that efficient emergency services provide. The tragic loss of young Jordan Dashwood is a stark reminder of the consequences of delayed response times. As we move forward, it's crucial to address these challenges head-on and ensure that FRV has the resources it needs to protect all Victorians, regardless of where they call home.
