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NEW USE .01 CFA's Martyn Bona, Victoria Police's Roger Williams and SES's Leanne Simpson at the impound yard in Preston.
EDITORIAL JANAE HOUGHTON PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW HENSHAW
REUSING HOON VEHICLES Victoria Police will donate hundreds of ABANDONED hoons’ cars to help road rescue service providers train their volunteers.
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ince the State Government introduced tough anti-hoon laws in 2007, thousands of cars have been taken off dangerous drivers and impounded for up to 30 days. Designated costs which include towing fees must be paid upfront to have these cars released back to the owner. On some occasions the money owing to release the car is worth more than the vehicle itself, so the owner never bothers to pick it up, leaving it in the hands of the staff at the impound yard in Preston. Victoria Police Logistical Support Branch manager Roger Williams said the majority of these cars would have previously been crushed for scrap metal, but not anymore. “We now have an opportunity to donate some of these abandoned vehicles to the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the State
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Emergency Service (SES), and they will be used to train their volunteers in road rescue. “Victoria Police has a strong commitment to road safety and by having a partnership with these agencies and allowing them to be better trained, could result in fewer deaths from collisions.” Mr Williams said Victoria Police would provide the SES and CFA with the vehicles on an as-needs basis. SES operational performance manager Leanne Simpson said it would be a massive help. “We often rely on donations of vehicles or else we have to pay for them at auctions. We could easily use more than 100 cars per year and Victoria Police will be able to give us these,” she said.
“This will mean better quality training for our volunteers, as they will get to practice scenarios in a range of vehicles, both new and old. “It will enhance volunteers’ confidence and capability when attending incidents.” CFA state training college facilities manager Martyn Bona said the CFA also relied on older donated cars. “Many of the cars we receive are already at the end of their life. Getting newer cars means we can practice with modern technologies and the plastic that cars are made out of today. This arrangement will be so beneficial to us.”
POLICELIFE SUMMER 2014
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