According to Mr Grant, this aircraft is a hero in the sky.
Mr Troy Grant posted this photo (above) on his Facebook page along with the following text:
Fantastic morning alongside NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons officially welcoming Large Air Tanker ‘Hunter’ to Dubbo as the fire season continues. This hero in the sky will be deployed for direct attacks on both bush and grass fires and can also assist firies on the ground in creating containment lines.
The VFFA says that the real heroes are the men and women on the fireground.
Unfortunately, the NSW Government and the NSW Rural Fire Service is relying upon aviation as our saviour when it comes to wildfire suppression.
The truth is that we cannot afford to continue along this path.
We must improve our land management practices, including cool (cultural or ecological) burning, to reduce the frequency and intensity of fires. This will eventually negate the need for large air tankers.
It is vitally important that we get back to basics before we destroy too much of the environment.
Get back to basics, invest in better land management, invest in early detection systems for the bush and jump onto fires early so that they don’t become megafires.
Couple this with volunteer and rural re-engagement (put the RURAL back into the Rural Fire Service) and we could potentially save millions of dollars that can be put back into other projects.
The new facility will create a state of the art emergency services headquarters. This facility in Dubbo, will be purpose-built and fit for the task, and it will be a mecca for emergency services and volunteers. This is the start…
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