NSW firefighters claim fire cutbacks have increased danger

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Darin Sullivan in Earth, Fire

Firies claim staff cutbacks increased the danger to the community during the Caltex fuel spill in Banksmeadow last month | thetelegraph.com.au.

Lack of training and staff cutbacks put the communitys lives at greater risk when about 150,000 litres of fuel leaked at the Caltex site in Banksmeadow last month, fire fighters claim.

Maroubra fire fighter Colin Gale said the Matraville crew attended the scene on July 12 with the appropriate equipment but were left with no choice but to wait for Caltex to arrive with a foam supply from Kurnell because they didn’t have the required training to the deal with the incident.

The Botany station was closed on the day of the spill while the crew worked at the Campsie station but Mr Gale said the Botany staff had the familiarisation training needed for the job.

Mr Gale, who has been a fire fighter for 26 years, said the first officer described it as “sheer luck” that that an explosion didn’t occur from the spill that took 27 hours to clean up.

Fire Brigade units worked throughout the night to contain about 157,000 litres of unleaded fuel leak at the Caltex refinery at Banksmeadow. Picture: Bill Hearne Source: The Daily Telegraph