Crews at Fire and Rescue NSW’s Miranda station have taken possession of a new, high-tech Aerial Platform to protect Sydney’s southern suburbs.
Valued at $2.5 million, the latest model aerial appliance is one of four new, identical platforms helping to form a ring of high-rise protection around Sydney’s ever-growing skyline. Other Aerial Platforms will be stationed at Hornsby in Sydney’s north, Huntingwood in the west and on the Central Coast.
Miranda Fire Station’s new appliance features
FRNSW has invested $38 million in a 15-vehicle aerial fleet that includes four large, 45m ‘Bronto’ ladder platforms already protecting Wollongong, Newcastle, Crows Nest and Parramatta, and additional aerial platforms in Newcastle and Sydney’s south-west.
Miranda Fire Station’s new appliance features three tanks, holding 1650 liters of water and 250 liters of foam in total, and has the capacity to pump at 6000 liters a minute, making it the most powerful pump on any Fire and Rescue appliance, allowing FRNSW to extinguish fires faster.
Firefighters to fight blazes
The platform’s ladder and enclosed cage can extend 24-meters in height, have a lateral reach of 11 meters
The platform’s ladder and enclosed cage can extend 24-meters in height, have a lateral reach of 11 meters and can lower three meters below the appliance, allowing firefighters to fight blazes or carry out rescues at various heights and rise over factory roofs to get to the seats of fires.
FRNSW Acting Commissioner, Megan Stiffler, said as Sydney’s skyline grows, so too does the organization’s ability to respond to high-rise emergencies.
"Whether, it’s reaching a person trapped in a residential tower, accessing across the roof of a burning industrial complex or battling a fire in a tall building, such as the recent 10-alarm emergency in Surry Hills, we have a fleet that’s ‘Prepared for Anything.’" Emergency Services Minister, Jihad Dib, commended FRNSW for its foresight.
Increase and buildings in cities
Jihad Dib added: "As our populations increase and buildings in our cities grow taller, the public can rest easy, knowing we have modern, high-tech emergency appliances that can deal with high-rise emergencies."
He continues, "These aerial platforms proved their worth during the Surry Hills blaze in May and they’re strategically positioned across our major cities to meet any demand."
