Picture: DEPARTMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT
Department of Sustainability and Environment concept fire-fighting vehicles are being tested in the Wimmera as part of a state-wide roadshow.
Eight concept fire tankers arrived in Halls Gap on Wednesday.
Department south-west region fire-fighting crews were trained to use the concept tankers in the Grampians on Thursday and Friday.
The roadshow started in January and will continue for three months.
The concept vehicles visited the Wimmera from Mildura and Bendigo.
Crews at Halls Gap, Horsham, Edenhope and Cavendish will test them for the next fortnight.
Department fire tanker review project manager Andrew Gosden of Ararat said the new fleet of vehicles was due to roll out in autumn 2014.
"There are five ultra-light concept tankers and three light concept tankers," he said.
"Currently the department has two types of firefighting vehicles a large tanker which carries 3800 litres of water and a slip-on unit which carries 400 litres.
"But with the concept vehicles, the single cab tankers carry 1200 litres of water and the dual cab tankers carry 1000 litres.
"This is quite different.
"We have not had that mid-size water-carrying capacity before."
Mr Gosden said concept vehicle improvements included electric hose reels, large storage lockers for personal items, welfare lockers for first aid kits, ergonomic features, new lighting inside cabinets, new diesel pumps and water-efficient high pressure lower volume pump systems.
"We hope the concept vehicles will inform what the new design of the vehicles will be," he said.
"This is not to say we will have exactly the same vehicles in the new fleet, but there is a process we go through of trials, assessments and procurement."
