Greater Bendigo CFA brigades to receive new safety equipment funded by the community

The Axe Creek, Woodend, Riddells Creek, Redesdale, and Talbot brigades in the region are set to receive the BA sets.

The apparatus contain cylinders with compressed breathable air, which allows firefighters and rescue workers to safely operate in hazardous and smoke filled environments that are immediately dangerous to life.

"It's key safety equipment so it's fantastic that this program was made available to assist in fully equipping the volunteer brigades," Riddells Creek Captain Michael Hemingway said.

Mr Hemingway said his brigade already had some BA sets, but will now receive additional devices which is beneficial as it provides greater safety measures for the team.

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The CFA and Brigades Donation Trust is allocating $2.25 million to purchase this equipment which will improve the capability and health and safety of firefighters attending fires.

The project cost $2.75m in total and some brigades chose to co-fund the project, expanding the program by around 20 per cent.

CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said the project funded one BA set and in some cases the brigade funded the second set.

He said the additional funding from brigades allowed the organisation to go from having 200 BA sets to a total of 234 BA sets and 468 BA cylinders.

The sets will be delivered to 116 brigades across the state which will then be installed into their fire trucks.

At the end of the rollout which is expected to take a couple of months, 514 brigades will have BA sets, with 43 of those brigades receiving the capability for the first time.

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The 43 brigades receiving BA for the first time have already begun the training process and installation into the trucks.

"BA provides important protection to our firefighters' airways from harmful products at fires and other incidents," Mr Heffernan said.

"This is critically important for their wellbeing and safety and I thank the community for their generosity."

Chair of the CFA and Brigades Donations Fund Graeme Jilbert said it was good to see the community donations going towards such an important cause which will increase the safety of firefighters.

Mr Jilbert said the project also funded a newly developed BA cylinder exchange system which would make things more efficient and timely for volunteers.

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