Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
For the members of Keysborough Fire Brigade, the promise of a new home is more than just bricks and mortar – it’s the culmination of a journey spanning two decades.
It’s a story that combines resilience, a brigade that transformed itself from the inside out, and cutting-edge data analysis that finally proved what the locals knew all along: Keysborough needed its own station to keep its community safe.
After years of uncertainty, the announcement that Keysborough will receive a new fire station has been met with a collective sigh of relief and a surge of excitement. The project, backed by an initial $500,000 investment in the 2022-23 Victorian State Budget for planning works, is set to secure the future of emergency response in this growing pocket of Melbourne’s south-east.
A long road travelled
The conversation about the future of Keysborough Fire Brigade is not new. In fact, discussions about the brigade’s viability and location date back to 2003. For years the brigade faced significant challenges, grappling with questions about its identity and its proximity to the neighbouring Noble Park Fire Brigade.
Through the lens of Fire Services Reform and the shifting landscape of emergency management, the brigade found itself at a crossroads. But rather than falter, Keysborough brigade reinvented itself.
Today, the brigade is unrecognisable from the one that entered those initial discussions years ago. It has blossomed into a thriving hub of activity, boasting a membership that is culturally and gender diverse, truly mirroring the vibrant multicultural community it serves. The station is no longer just a garage for trucks, but a community anchor.
However, the existing facility has long been outgrown. Despite being geographically well-placed to protect local assets – including nearby schools and residential growth zones – the site has faced logistical constraints that made a stay-put solution difficult.
The science of safety
Determining the future of the brigade required more than just intuition; it required hard evidence. CFA’s Strategic Insights team stepped in to revolutionise the decision-making process. Moving away from simple radius maps, the team used a new ‘node coverage’ methodology. This sophisticated approach analyses service delivery at a granular level.
“We didn’t just look at circles on a map. We used dynamic road network modelling to calculate exactly which properties could be reached within our service delivery standards (SDS),” Manager Strategic Insights Paul Nguyen said. “The node coverage method allows us to see the real-world impact of traffic, road networks and travel times on community safety.”
The data revealed the crucial insight that the current Keysborough location was arguably one of the best in the state for its specific patch, achieving close to 100 per cent node coverage. This means that almost every property in the brigade’s response area can be reached within the critical timeframe required to save lives and property.
For a long time, a prevailing proposal was to merge Keysborough and Noble Park brigades into a single ‘super station’ at Parkmore that would be responsible for covering both response areas. On paper, it seemed like a consolidation of resources, but in reality the data told a different story. The Strategic Insights analysis showed that such a move would result in significantly poorer outcomes for local residents.
Currently, Keysborough has about 99.9 per cent coverage, while Noble Park sits at a robust 91.4 per cent. The modelling showed that combining them at the Parkmore site would lead to a combined coverage of just 63.5 per cent. A merger would leave huge swathes of the community outside the rapid response zone. This data-driven validation was the turning point, supporting the argument to maintain Keysborough and Noble Park as separate and vital entities.
Finding the perfect fit
With a merger off the table, the focus shifted to finding a new home for Keysborough brigade that retained the operational excellence of the current site without its physical limitations. The search was a collaborative effort. The brigade captain played a pivotal role, identifying several potential locations that were then stress-tested against the node coverage model.
The aim was simple but ambitious: preserve the existing 100 per cent coverage while providing a modern facility.
A potential location has been identified as the ideal solution, which promises to maintain the high standards of service delivery the community expects while giving the volunteers the modern facilities they deserve.
This outcome was the result of deep engagement between the brigade and senior government officials. Local Member for Mordialloc Tim Richardson has been a vocal champion for the brigade, walking the journey with the volunteers. Similarly, the Minister for Emergency Services Vicki Ward has taken a hands-on approach, visiting the station to understand the challenges firsthand.
“We’ve worked incredibly hard to build a brigade that looks like our community and serves it with pride. To have the data back us up and the government support our future is a massive win for every one of our members,” Keysborough Fire Brigade Captain Stewart Matulis said.
Deputy Chief Officer South East Region Trevor Owen noted that this decision underscores CFA’s commitment to evidence-based planning.
“This process highlights how we are using modern technology to support our volunteers. We aren’t just guessing where stations should go, we are proving it. Keysborough’s new home ensures that safety standards in the south-east remain world-class,” Trevor said.
As planning work begins, the mood at Keysborough is one of optimism. They have survived the uncertainty, proven their worth through data and diversity, and are now ready to lay the foundations for the next generation of service.
- Using node coverage research to find the optimum station location
| Submitted by |
Paul Nguyen and Ben Hines |