Volunteers of the Padthaway CFS Station have recently been issued with a brand new dual-cab truck to use for future call outs.

The new ‘34P’ replaces the station’s previous vehicle, which was around 18 years old and extremely outdated. 

Padthaway CFS volunteer Andy Gray said it was great to have access to a “bigger, better and safer truck”.

“We are all very happy with the upgrade – it’s a lot safer and looks after the crew a lot better,” he said.

“We used to sit on the back of the old truck out in the open which wasn’t very comfortable on frosty mornings during winter time. 

“Now we’ve got a dual cab truck with air conditioning, which is a lot more comfortable. When we go to road crash rescues, it’s also much better to have the unit altogether to talk things over.”

Mr Gray said the new vehicle has many safety features which the previous truck did not have. 

“They thought a lot about safety when putting the truck together – if we were placed in the worst case scenario, we would have a much better chance of surviving with all these added safety features,” he said. 

Some of the new features include an anti-lock braking system (ABS), in-cab breathing apparatus, a deluge system, numerous fire blankets, an improved pump and a larger 3000L water capacity. 

The Padthaway CFS station will also be having an open day on October 28 from 3pm onwards.

Local volunteers are urging anyone to come along to check out the new truck and learn about what they do.

To find out more information about the open day or becoming a CFS volunteer, contact Andy Gray on 0481 353 729.