The Beechworth Fire Brigade, which provided a submission to this year's bushfire royal commission, is raising concerns for the safety of its volunteers claiming it does not have equipment fit for purpose.
Captain of the brigade Bruce Forrest said the station is under-resourced and needs more vehicles suited for the hilly terrain it services.
"Beechworth is a high fire risk [township] in the alpine hill area and needs vehicles that are suitable, or fit for purpose," he said.
The historic town is situated on the top of a hill surrounded by high-risk eucalypt and pine forests.
Parts of the local topography exceeds 40-degree slopes which Mr Forrest said increases the threat.
"10 degrees of slope can double the speed of the fire," he said.
Allocation of resources
Last year, the CFA allocated the station a brand new 4x4 heavy tanker, but a unanimous vote by the volunteers saw them hand it back.
Mr Forrest said it was not what the station needs and the standardisation of the CFA fleet does not work.
"It's different in the Wimmera, out on the flat land, compared to the Alpine area here," he said.
Instead of a heavy tanker, Mr Forrest said its members have been asking for two ultra-light tankers.
"We've been trying for 10 years to get one. We can't even get one," he said.
"I'm yet to find out how [the allocation of resources] is done because it's definitely not done on risk."
The station has one main appliance and one light tanker for bushfires, while the urban brigade also has one main appliance.
Part of town undefendable from the ground
Adding to its difficult terrain is the Beechworth Gorge, a former hideout for members of the Kelly Gang which now offers a picturesque view of the town and the nature it has to offer.
Mr Forrest said the brigade currently has no appliances that can easily fight fires if one was to ignite at the gorge.
"It's a hard place to get in to and it has a bridge with a 5-tonne limit," he said.
"We don't have a CFA-supplied vehicle to get around there because our vehicles are too heavy."
He said the station uses two private members' vehicles which the brigade uses to get to areas that can not be accessed with larger vehicles.
Royal commission handed down report
The Beechworth Fire Brigade made a submission to the royal commission outlining its concerns with resourcing and volunteer safety.
On Friday, the 600-page document was made public listing 80 recommendations including the rollout of a new fire danger rating system, more water bombers, a national emergency warning app, and a call for more resources.
Mr Forrest said it was unlikely things would change before this coming fire season, but said the recommendations needed to be acted on quickly.
"It's not going to go away, they're going to have to realise that this is the way of life now," he said.
"They're going to have to learn to cope with it better because at the moment I don't think, at times, we really are."
He said it was important complacency does not settle in.
"At the moment it's greener and wetter than normal, but you can guarantee next year or the year after it'll be back," the brigade captain said.
"They've really got to get organised and do something about it not just talk about it.
"You try to do the best for your community, that's why you're in the CFA — to do the best for your community so your community is well looked after."
In a statement, CFA deputy chief officer of the north-east region Ross Sullivan said "CFA continues to work with the brigade to assess its needs against the local risk profile and with partner fire agencies providing resource capacity as required."
