KORUMBURRA Fire Brigade requires a larger purpose-built facility to replace its existing station, with the need for a safer location an equally important priority, according to members. 

“When we’re coming back into the station, we have to reverse across a 60 kilometre per hour zone on the highway, and there’s very little warning for motorists,” Korumburra Fire Brigade captain Shane Maskell told Channel 9 news recently.

The lack of visibility for drivers near the fire station, in both directions, makes it particularly difficult for trucks travelling along the South Gippsland Highway to stop in time to avoid reversing brigade vehicles.

There is only about 50 metres visibility for traffic coming from Leongatha, Shane said, explaining fire trucks preparing to reverse from the middle of the highway are facing Leongatha.

“Being a 60kmh zone you need more than that to stop, especially trucks, and a lot of the time they’re doing a bit more than 60,” Shane said.

Shane noted the station’s close proximity to a school and kindergarten located slightly closer to the centre of town, explaining there is a crest in the road with a school crossing in the dip.

He also told the Sentinel-Times that as well as restricted vision preventing drivers from seeing fire trucks from a safe distance, many motorists lack patience or focus.

“When the truck’s moving across the highway we’ve had cars trying to drive around behind it and they just don’t want to stop,” he said.

Shane fears a mishap, pointing out it is a safety issue for br