Orange station’s extra fire power
BY NADINE MORTON
25 Jan, 2012 04:00 AM
UNDERSTAFFING issues that plagued Orange Fire Station during 2011 have been resolved.
Fire and Rescue NSW confirmed four new retained firefighters would join the Orange station by the middle of the year.

The appointment comes after the Fire Brigade Employees Union revealed Orange’s second fire truck was regularly unable to respond to calls due to a staff shortage.

The union stated the truck was “off line” up to 70 times in one month.

“The station didn’t have the minimum number of retained [firefighters] the department said they could have,” the union’s country sub branch secretary Tim Anderson said.

Mr Anderson said the shortage of firefighters on a second truck had safety implications for firefighters and the community, with help then having to come from Molong, Blayney or Bathurst.

He said the changes in staffing numbers allowed for permanent firefighters to be called in for emergencies and the station’s second truck to be staffed.

The Orange Fire Station is staffed by a combination of permanent staff and retained firefighters, who are on-call for the fire service while working other jobs.

“Give credit where credits due, they have responded,” Mr Anderson said of Fire and Rescue NSW.

Mr Anderson said member for Orange Andrew Gee and pressure from the media late last year forced the changes.

“Ironically the policy was changed within a week of that media [pressure],” he said.

“It’s a great win for firefighters and the community of Orange.”

nadine.morton@ruralpre ss.com