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Shame MFB Shame - Disability access? Forget it! December 30, 2008.
In yet another disgraceful waste of public money and mismanagement, Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Brigade, the MFB, has spent over a million dollars creating another blunder. At the recently refurbished Footscray Fire Station, more problems have now been uncovered with the revelation that disability access to public areas at the station has not been built.
 United Firefighters Union (UFU) health and safety reps inspected the station two weeks ago and found that a lecture area on the upper floor has no access for people with physical disabilities.
"At fire stations, these areas are classified as public space," says UFU Victorian Branch Secretary Peter Marshall. "Community groups and individuals can book them for meetings and events, so they are required to be accessible to all. But this is not the case at the Footscray station, even after the large amount of money spent by the MFB upgrading the facilities there."
It's all talk - and no disability action for the western suburbs
Earlier this month, the MFB launched a disability action plan to help build the relationship between firefighters and people with disabilities. "This is the height of hypocrisy," says Peter Marshall. "In the same month that the MFB announce their disability action program, we find disabled peoples' needs have been disregarded at Footscray."
The UFU health and safety reps believe the original plans for the station included a lift to the upper floors. However, there was no sign of an elevator - or even a lift shaft - when they conducted their audit after the building works had been completed.
"We're not sure at this stage whether it's the result of MFB management penny-pinching or neglect," says Peter Marshall. "But whatever the reason, it just shows that while they don't mind spending on spin at a launch, the spend doesn't trickle down to fire stations where it's needed most."
People with physical disabilities can access the ground floor of the station via (sometimes faulty) self opening doors and a ramp. However, once inside there is nowhere for them to go - except to the disabled toilets.
"It's absurd," says Peter Marshall. "Even if a disabled person was able to get to the lecture area, they'd then have a problem getting to the toilet facilities which are located below on the ground floor. I'm not sure what MFB Management could have been thinking when they signed-off on a plan like this."
No word back
The UFU is still waiting for the MFB to respond to the audit of the Footscray station. The health and safety reps have not heard back from MFB management since they inspected the refurbished building.
"The MFB's own publications state that around 20% of the Victorian population lives with a disability, and that the Melbourne Fire Service needs to connect better with these people," says Peter Marshall. "So why has MFB Management limited disability access at Footscray Fire Station to the toilet only?"
This latest example of mismanagement comes on top of last week's revelation by the Union that the Footscray Fire Station's Ladder Platform vehicle will now have to be stationed eleven kilometers away at Deer Park because the rear entrance driveway is too narrow.
"The State Government needs to step in now and hold a thorough inquiry into this growing list of problems and continued waste of public money at the MFB," says Peter Marshall. "MFB management spends the public's money, so they must be held accountable for the inept and costly decisions they make."
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