A temporary fire station was opened at Lucas ahead of what is expected to be a scorching fire season this summer.
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The temporary station for career fire fighters went live from 8am, on Friday.
Construction on a permanent Lucas Fire Station has also started.
It will house 10 bedrooms for firefighters 24/7 coverage to the community in Ballarat’s growing west.
Country Fire Authority District 15 operations manager Brett Boatman said Lucas had significant, new residential and infrastructure growth, so delivering firefighting services was a priority for the area.
“The population in Lucas has grown to more than 7000 residents since it was established in 2011,” he said.
“With new housing developments, a shopping centre and other infrastructure developments underway, it’s likely the number and complexity of emergency incidents will increase.
“Building a new fire station in Lucas will benefit the local community and broader Ballarat region by enabling CFA career firefighters to respond to incidents around the clock.”
Police were forced to investigate three suspicious grass fire in the Lucas area, near Dyson Drive in 2014.
Mr Boatman said the firefighters at Lucas would now have access to a modern station.
“(This includes) the latest emergency management equipment, including a brand new heavy pumper fire truck and trained personnel and equipment to respond to emergency medical response incidents,” he said.
The emergency medical response program has aimed to increase the survival chances of heart attack patients.
It is a joint fire authority and Ambulance Victoria initiative.
Ambulance Victoria chief executive Tony Walker said the program had been through testing in Melbourne.
“In a cardiac arrest, what you do before emergency services arrive can greatly improve the chance of someone’s survival,” he said.
“Call 000 for assistance and listen carefully to the call taker who can provide instructions for CPR. Any CPR is better than no CPR.
“Early CPR provides blood flow to a person’s brain and vital organs, and means they have a better chance of survival when medical help arrives.”
The temporary fire station will be located at a Delacombe warehouse on Paddys Drive.
Portables, plumbing, electrical and IT infrastructure, and temporary walls were nearly completed inside the warehouse on Thursday, while fences and electric gates were developed to allow fire trucks and support vehicles to securely park on site.