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Victoria's emergency services are unprepared for critical incidents in Melbourne's soon-to-be-opened West Gate Tunnel, senior firefighters have warned, due to a lack of subterranean know-how and equipment. Top firefighters have even warned Victorians against driving through the tunnel until they are satisfied proper safety checks have been completed. A major concern is that emergency services — including Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police — have not yet conducted live scenario drills in the tunnel, which is due to open by the end of the year. In comparison, multiple live field exercises with hundreds of actors, emergency services and other transport authorities have been conducted in the Metro Tunnel, which Premier Jacinta Allan said would also open in December. Documents seen by the ABC detail FRV firefighters' concerns about preparedness dating back to 2024. "Without live training, proper equipment and validated systems, FRV's readiness remains theoretical,'' internal FRV correspondence discussing emergency management for the new tunnel said. "Until multi-agency exercises, communications upgrades, and doctrine development are completed, FRV's operational capability within the West Gate Tunnel Project should remain classified as limited and high-risk." It is a view consistently shared in FRV correspondence. Firefighters have privately told the ABC they are nervous about a potential incident in the tunnel due to its unique design and lack of detailed protocols, or "doctrine", on how to respond in the tunnel. Live field exercises were only scheduled late last week, to be held in early December — just weeks before the tunnel opens to the public, giving little time to consider the outcome of the drills. It will also occur after tens of thousands of Victorians walk or run through the tunnel on November 16 during the West Gate Tunnel Discovery Day. "We're going into areas where we don't have the necessary equipment, the necessary training, and the procedures to back that up in what's a really unique environment,'' station officer Doug Lukic told the ABC. Government rejects firefighters' concerns The Victorian government rejected firefighters' concerns, saying the tunnel would "open safely in December with no limitations to emergency response capabilities". "Claims that firefighters lack the capability, training and equipment to respond to incidents in the tunnel are wrong,'' a government spokesman said. "Our project partners must follow the strictest fire safety requirements to open the tunnel — with safety exercises and training already underway to ensure it is safe to open in December." International tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, who wrote an expert report for the coroner over the 2007 Burnley Tunnel crash and fire that killed three men, said it was best practice to conduct live field exercises prior to opening. He said the strong response to the Burnley Tunnel incident was in part due to field exercises that ironed out problems with planned emergency management. "West Gate is a different design of tunnel [from] anything we've ever had in Australia before. It's a different approach to operational safety and delivery of transport solutions," Professor Dix said. "Fantastic design, but it is different." Concerns about emergency response at the West Gate Tunnel have been discussed within FRV and with toll road operator Transurban for more than 12 months as part of the process to get ready for opening. The West Gate Tunnel has a three-deck design: an upper deck used for exhaust and smoke extraction, a middle deck for the three-lane road, and a lower maintenance deck under the road. This is different from Melbourne's other two road tunnels: EastLink and CityLink. The West Gate project includes two road tunnels — the inbound tunnel is 2.8 kilometres long, running parallel with a 4km outbound tunnel. Of most concern to firefighters is a 1.2km length of outbound tunnel that runs without a twin. They say people trying to evacuate an incident cannot use the passages to get through to the alternate tunnel to get out. "People may decide to remain inside their vehicles and not evacuate. If they do evacuate, they are likely to exit the tunnel the way they entered and walk down the length of the tunnel to the entrance portal," FRV notes say. Instead, they must either evacuate through the tunnel or use stairways that lead them into the confined maintenance tunnel underneath the road. That maintenance deck is also to be used by emergency services. Firefighters are concerned that the area is not suitable for evacuees and will not be used as people are unlikely to head further underground. "It is unlikely that people will go into the EOUs [exit out under] because they are not sure of what lies at the bottom of the stairs,'' one FRV document said. Mr Lukic said the maintenance deck included high-voltage apparatus, and no fire suppression systems or ability to monitor the atmosphere. Extensive testing underway, says Transurban Transurban said that the maintenance tunnel would only be used in limited scenarios and included fire-rated separation from high-voltage areas and emergency vehicle access if required. The three-deck design allows Transurban to conduct routine inspections without disrupting the traffic flow above. "Extensive testing and commissioning of the tunnel systems is currently underway to ensure the West Gate Tunnel operates safely from day one,'' a company spokesman said. Battery fires represent a major risk, with firefighters unable to extinguish them; rather, they have to contain any blaze. More electric cars and trucks on the road present a significant danger. Already this year, firefighters have sounded the alarm on ageing breathing apparatus needed to enter dangerous situations. Of concern is long-duration BA tanks with more than 30 minutes of air, but many have reached their use-by date and the Firefighters Union says there is no backup. Firefighters say the prospect of working in the tunnel without long-duration BA is a nightmare scenario and completely unsafe. FRV has dismissed concerns about breathing apparatus capability, saying it had enough long-duration equipment while also saying it was committed to upgrading equipment. In the event of a major emergency, it can also access long-duration BA from the CFA, which has the capability for mine rescue. "The safety of the Victorian community, emergency responders and firefighters is FRV's number one priority,'' a FRV spokesperson said. "Before the tunnel opens, FRV and other emergency services will participate in emergency management exercises, which are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks." The spokesperson said Transurban would provide FRV with access to the entire network prior to opening, so that crews and command staff were confident in swiftly and effectively responding to any emergencies in the tunnel.
