A new state-of-the-art CFA station has opened in Ballarat West to service the growing suburb of Lucas and neighbouring communities thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville today officially opened the station, located in the Ballarat West emergency services hub.
The $5.8 million facility was funded by the Labor Government in 2015 and has been built to meet future demand with the brigade servicing an area that has grown by 7000 residents since 2011.
The four-bay station provides the Lucas CFA brigade with modern facilities, bedrooms, training and meeting rooms, and space for preparing for and recovering from incidents.
The station is home to 32 career firefighters who also support surrounding brigades, including Sebastopol, Smythesdale, Haddon and Wendouree.
The station is equipped with the latest emergency management tools, including a HAZMAT truck, a new heavy pumper fire truck and equipment for emergency medical response incidents.
Firefighters from emergency medical response equipped stations are dispatched at the same time as paramedics to respond to triple zero calls for heart attack patients and non-breathing patients.
Each capable station has the necessary medical equipment to perform the life-saving role, with defibrillators installed in the fire trucks.
The Lucas CFA brigade was founded in December 2017 and worked from a temporary base in Delacombe before moving into the new station in November last year.
The local brigade has responded to 350 incidents in the past 12 months, including house fires, car accidents and supporting paramedics at emergency medical response incidents.
As noted by Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville
"This new state-of-the-art CFA station will provide the local brigade with modern facilities, as well as more space to train and prepare for emergency incidents along with assisting neighbouring brigades."
"We're backing the CFA and making sure they have the resources and facilities they need to keep the community safe."
As stated by Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison
"This new CFA Station is equipped with the latest technology including a new heavy pumper fire truck and a HAZMAT truck to quickly respond to incidents in our growing community."
