This is not firefighting reform, UFUAV says
A proposal by Airservices Australia would transfer aviation rescue fire stations, specialised firefighting vehicles, training facilities and protective equipment to a third-party commercial entity under a long-term leaseback arrangement.
The United Firefighters Union of Australia – Aviation Branch (UFUAV) said the proposal would amount to the privatisation of the nation’s Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service and the transfer of critical emergency service infrastructure to a sovereign wealth fund.
The arrangement would see Airservices lease the assets back after the transfer.
UFUAV said the proposal would also move specialised emergency vehicle technicians and maintenance capability to the private asset owner.
The union said this would separate maintenance capability from operational firefighting functions within a system it described as an integrated emergency response capability.
UFUAV says proposal could affect readiness
UFUAV Branch Secretary Wes Garrett said the proposal would commercialise a frontline emergency service that exists to maintain public safety and save the lives of air travellers when disaster strikes.
Garrett said: “Aviation firefighting is not a money-making enterprise.
“It is a lifesaving emergency service.
“The moment you introduce a profit motive, safety stops being the first priority.
“Australians expect world-class aviation rescue firefighters to come to their aid when something goes wrong, not an emergency service run according to a lowest bidder mentality designed to maximise returns for an investment fund.
“Under the proposal, ownership and management of critical aviation safety assets would be transferred to a commercial operator whose primary obligation would be delivering a financial return to investors, not protecting the safety of air travellers or firefighters.”
He added: “We have seen this exercise attempted in other jurisdictions before.
“When profit becomes a central driver of decision-making, there is always inevitable pressure to cut costs.
“That will mean delaying maintenance on our specialised firefighting vehicles, reducing investment in equipment and facilities or underinvesting in operational readiness.”
Garrett said those risks carry catastrophic consequences in aviation firefighting.
He said: “In an aircraft fire, passengers typically have only minutes to survive.
“International aviation standards require firefighters to reach an incident within three minutes because every second counts.
“If operational preparedness is compromised by cost-cutting or delayed maintenance, the consequences could be fatal for passengers and devastating for firefighters who are sent into those situations.”
The union said long-term lease arrangements would lock the Commonwealth into escalating costs designed to deliver profits to investors and said it would oppose any attempt to privatise aviation rescue firefighting services.
Garrett said: “If aviation firefighting can be privatised, what emergency service is next?
“The travelling public deserves a world-class aviation rescue firefighting service that puts safety first every single time.
“They do not deserve a system where critical emergency infrastructure is run to maximise financial returns.”
He said: “Firefighters will never accept a future where lifesaving services are hollowed out to satisfy financial models.
“When safety fails, it is the travelling public and our firefighters who pay the price.
“We call on Airservices Australia to put the lives of Australia’s air travellers first by abandoning the proposal to privatise the aviation firefighting services they rely upon to keep them safe.”