THE Orana Rural Fire Service (RFS) has taken delivery of a new piece of equipment just in time to tackle blazes this bushfire season.
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The Blazetamer 380 fast fill gel pump system, designed especially for use in aerial fighting of bushfires, was purchased with an NRMA Insurance community grant awarded to the local firefighting operation.
Valued at about $3800, it would speed up aircraft turnaround times and have the capabilities to fill multiple aircraft at a time, Orana RFS Operations Officer Laurie Douglas said.
"It's run off a little electric motor, you hook a line up and it feeds a gel concentration through, mixing it correctly for chemical firefighting," he said. Inspector Douglas said was it less "manpower-intensive" than previous methods, which freed firefighters up to perform other tasks while responding to emergencies.
As it was on wheels, the pump system could literally be rolled out to Dubbo, Narromine and Wellington local government areas as required.