FIREFIGHTERS from the Werribee CFA branch are called to nearly as many road accidents as fires, new figures reveal.
In the five months to September, the brigade attended 52 motor vehicle accidents and 64 fires or explosions.
The figures show the gap was wider between the two types of calls at the same time last year, when firefighters attended 48 more fires than they did crashes.
First lieutenant Darryl Wells said population growth and increased traffic volumes meant the majority of crashes had been on local roads as opposed to highways.
“Firefighters urge drivers to take all due care when driving on Wyndham roads, as with the growth of the area the roads are carrying a lot more traffic than they did even six months ago,” he said.
This comes after the brigade battled to free people from wreckages following two separate crashes this week.
The brigade’s rescue unit was called to a two-car collision about 4.20pm on Sunday on Shaws Road, where both drivers were trapped in their vehicles. The cars collided near Centenary Crescent, with one remaining on the road and the other spinning off and ploughing into a fence.
Firefighters ensured the wreckages were safe before placing one of the drivers on a stretcher for paramedics.
The other driver was incapacitated in the front seat. Rescue crews used glass management techniques before removing the passenger doors to free him.
The rescue unit also attended a two-car collision on the corner of Tarneit and Parramatta roads on Friday about 10.15am. An elderly couple was trapped inside a car that had toppled on its side.
Firefighters stabilised the vehicle to allow paramedics to assess the occupants’ injuries, before conducting a ‘roof roll’, cutting the side pillars and folding the roof away.
The female passenger and male driver were treated at the scene by paramedics.
Werribee CFA said motorists could make roads a safer place by taking proper care when approaching intersections, remaining patient and showing courtesy to other road users.
