Firefighters blow whistle on industry they claim isn't meeting safety standards

A group of Aussie firefighters have broken ranks to speak out because they say public safety is paramount.

They're blowing the whistle on an industry they claim isn't meeting safety standards.

"The issue is we've got a critical shortage of aviation firefighters," secretary of the United Firefighters Union of Australia's (UFUA) aviation branch Wesley Garrett told A Current Affair.

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"This is really off the back of the pandemic.

"Airservices (Australia) incentivised the retirement of just under 100 firefighters and that has had a serious impact on our ability to staff ARF (aviation rescue firefighter) stations across the country."

Garrett said there's been a lag in rehiring.

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"Airservices operates in a safety-and security-sensitive area. It's very easy for them to withdraw and get on with their business, without anybody knowing about it," Garrett said.

"At the moment we're operating below regulatory requirements - that is CASA-approved minimum staffing numbers - at a number of airports around the country.

"These are things first-world countries around the globe take very seriously and I would've thought Australia would live up to those standards as well."

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Airservices Australia is a Commonwealth-run service.

There are currently 753 aviation firefighters across 27 locations around the country.

Garrett claims more than 100 extra staff are needed.

"We have a period of time it's accepted, three minutes for us, to make a major intervention on an air crash fire," former aviation fire commander Trevor Rodgers said.

"After that three-minute period of time, the chances of people surviving a major crash - internal fire - is much reduced.

"The last thing I want to be thinking about is trying to come up with plan B, C and D because I don't have enough staff."

Rodgers claims metropolitan firefighters aren't up to the job.

"Our vehicles are very specialised and you have to have a qualification to be able to operate them," he said.

"They would have to understand the construction, if you like, or access to an aircraft."

Sydney Airport substation officer Jason Cocchiett is calling for the staff they need to do their jobs.

"Here in Sydney we responded to 70-odd callouts in the last month," Cocchiett said.

"That's anything from a medical to a full-blown aviation incident.

"We're just looking for a safe working environment for our firefighters and for the public."

CASA, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, referred us to Airservices Australia.

Airservices Australia told A Current Affair safety is the number one priority and argued "the union's claims are inaccurate and are part of an industrial campaign for a new enterprise agreement".

However, it added, "an additional 48 aviation rescue firefighter recruits will join the service this year and another 48 in 2023".

But these firefighters are calling for urgent action.

"It's not an issue of 'if' it's going to happen, but 'when' it's going to happen," Rodgers said.