Teachers smelled smoke on the second floor of the heritage building, evacuated the students and called triple zero. They conducted a head count in the assembly area and advised the brigade on arrival that five students were missing and presumed to be upstairs where the fire was taking hold.
Members of Heathcote, Mt Camel, Junortoun and Axedale brigades from Eppalock Group swung into action alongside Bendigo members on the Bronto and Heathcote SES.
Heathcote’s collar tank was set up with water supplied by Junortoun and Heathcote's two tankers. Mt Camel tanker was used for asset protection and five-man fog attack for venting domestic LPG gas cylinders. The pumper was at full capacity supplying water to Mt Camel tanker, 2 lengths of 38mm hose and then boosting Bendigo Platform.
“This was the first time we’d exercised with the Bronto”, said Heathcote Training Officer Shane Nixon who was the dynamo behind the exercise.
“The Bronto needs 1000kpa to work effectively but our pumper can only do 750kpa. The operator kept the platform relatively close to the ground so not as much pressure was needed to supply water. We used our pumper for training purposes only but overall we were happy with what we could achieve.”
Two lengths of 38mm hose using Protek nozzles fought the fire from outside the building. Another two lengths of 38mm hose went up to the second floor with the members wearing breathing apparatus for both the internal firefight and the search for the missing students in dummy form.
While some of the unconscious children were evacuated from the second floor by the Bendigo platform, others were given the fireman’s lift and taken downstairs.
About 90 people attended the exercise late last year from both the emergency services and the school community.
“Overall, the exercise was a great success and people put in 110 per cent effort,” said Shane. “They were all feeling the heat wearing their structure uniforms, but they pulled through and did a great job. Mistakes were made on the day and there were equipment failures but that’s what training is for. We learn so we can perform the job better.
“As a training officer, I could not be any prouder then I was on the day to see everything fall into place. The members deserve a big pat on the back for a great job well done.”
A successful exercise means a lot of planning behind the scenes and Shane is quick to give credit where it’s due.
“A special thanks to Junortoun, Mt Camel, Axedale and Bendigo brigades, Heathcote SES, Ambulance Victoria and the students, teachers and parents of the Holy Rosary Catholic School.
“It was great to have Carl Watkins as Incident Controller and Wayne Watts and Ray Mundy supervised BA operators in the building. Heathcote Fire Station was our ICC and we had two new people running radio operations. Operations Officer Chris Jacobsen really came through for us, ensuring Bendigo staff were available to bring over the Bronto.”
The Holy Rosary Primary School oval is Heathcote's designated Neighbourhood Safer Place (NSP).
Heathcote brigade
It’s been a smooth transition from Region 12 to District 2 for Heathcote brigade.
“We joined in with the old Bendigo Group and they were very strong,” said First Lieutenant and Deputy Group Officer Carl Watkins.
The brigade conducts training every Sunday during the fire season and twice a month the rest of the year. There are some 35 operational Heathcote members, 12 of them women, who are turned out about 70 times a year, on average.
See also Death of Heathcote's Cappy McCarthy
Subscribe to this comment's feed
