NSW Fire and Rescue soared above the Shoalhaven River as part of a drill on Friday.
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Crew from three local fire stations took part in the exercise to familiarise themselves with the $2 million aerial ladder platform fire truck on Scenic Drive.
NSW Fire and Rescue station officer Mick Adams said the high-tech piece of equipment, which extends 37 metres (about 12 storeys) into the air, allows firefighters to easily and safely extinguish hard to reach fires.
“We only get to do a drill like this once every six months, so we thought it would be a good chance to get a great view of Nowra as well,” he said.
“This is a specialised truck which has been sent down from Wollongong that the Shoalhaven team relies on.
“The truck allows us to attack those difficult fires like the one out at the steel works in Wollongong and even rescues like the one we had out at HMAS Albatross where a parachutist had been caught in a gum tree.”
Mr Adams said the truck was also used at a fire in October last year at Manildra’s Bomaderry ethanol plant.
“The fire was so hot it was melting our masks,” he said.
“The ladder platform allowed us to get right up above the fire and drown it.
“All the technology to use the platform can also be directed from the truck on the ground, meaning we don’t have to be up there if it’s too dangerous.”
The platform acts as fire truck in the air so it can target specific areas. There is a ladder which runs the entire length of the fire truck as well to allow firefighters to continually evacuate areas if necessary.
“It burns your legs by the time you climb all the way up there though,” Mr Adams said.
“In an emergency it can take only a matter of minutes to set the truck up.”
NSW Fire and Rescue Wollongong station firefighter Dave Watts said the aerial ladder platform fire truck can shoot water at 1500 kilopascals (kpa) at a rate of 90 litres per second.
“It allows us to work a lot quicker to put fires out and in some cases like an apartment block fire in Coniston save most of the building.”
“The platform itself automatically keeps level at all times and the arm has a neck-like manoeuvrability so we can move it around where we need to.
“There are also breathing apparatus on the platform, which allows us to continue working in smoky conditions.”
A normal fire truck hooks up to the fire hydrant on the ground which works to create the necessary pressure needed to fight fires.
Hoses are then attached from the fire truck to the aerial-ladder-platform fire truck. A hose runs up the entire length of the ladder to the platform where the end of the hose is attached.
Mr Watts said attachments to the hose on the platform can increase further pressure and change the shape of the flow of water if needed.
NSW Fire and Rescue also took NSW Ambulance paramedics up for a treat and locals marveled at the rare sight.