CFA’s Fire Medical Response (FMR) crews have been put to the test, responding to a mock mass casualty train versus bus incident alongside our partner emergency service agencies.
More than 130 personnel from CFA, Ambulance Victoria, VICSES and Victoria Police were part of the multi-agency exercise at CFA’s Bangholme training campus on Sunday 23 August.
Medical Response Project Manager Carolyn Cole-Sinclair said it’s difficult to replicate mass casualty incidents so the most effective training for this type of incident is simulation of a real-life situation.
“Providing this opportunity enables our FMR crews to practice their skills in a realistic and safe environment,” Caz said.
“While these incidents are rare, they’re high-impact often resulting in multiple casualties with complex injuries requiring rapid assessment, triage, medical intervention and coordination.
“Our FMR responders got the opportunity to develop critical skills not achievable in a classroom or standard single-patient scenario.”
Sixteen FMR brigades from CFA’s outer metropolitan areas participated in the exercise, including 60 CFA volunteers who enthusiastically took on the casualty role. Complete with special effects make-up and dramatic performances, the volunteers helped bring the scenario to life.
The FMR program is a joint initiative between CFA and Ambulance Victoria where crews from both agencies are dispatched simultaneously to cardiac arrests and other immediate life-threatening emergencies.
Fifty CFA brigades across the state are now equipped to respond alongside Ambulance Victoria paramedics and first responders to these time-critical cases.
As of August 2026, FMR brigades have responded to over 750 calls, illustrating the impact CFA volunteers are already having in their communities.
CFA Deputy Chief Officer Garry Cook said FMR was a natural fit for CFA because of the 52,000 volunteers across the state and large statewide footprint.
“This puts CFA in a unique position to complement Ambulance Victoria’s response in 50 locations across Victoria to help deliver early intervention to cardiac arrests,” Garry said.
“Large-scale multi-agency exercises like this are not only an important way to practise our skills, they’re also a vital part of our response coordination, relationships and collaboration with our partner emergency service agencies.”
Ambulance Victoria Executive Director of Regional Operations, Michael Georgiou, said Victoria has the best cardiac survival rate in Australia and is second only to Denmark worldwide, thanks to high rates of early intervention.
“Victoria remains the safest state in Australia to go into cardiac arrest with Ambulance Victoria initiatives, such as the FMR program, saving lives,” Michael said.
“By upskilling CFA brigades to provide life-saving intervention, particularly in areas where a fire truck may reach a patient sooner than an ambulance, we can get people the care they need faster.”
