A practical tanker shuttle procedure for Australian volunteer crews

Australian bushfire operations can require volunteer crews to move water between tanks, engines and the fire edge. Tanker shuttle operations become essential where no reticulated main reaches the incident, access is restricted or one supply point cannot support the required flow. A written procedure turns an improvised task into a coordinated service.

A departmental standard operating procedure for tanker shuttle operations should assign authority, define triggers and record how water is sourced, transported and delivered. That matters for mixed volunteer brigades, where members have different training levels and departments may operate pumps and radios owned by several local authorities.

Define the trigger and chain of command

Set the operational threshold in the procedure rather than debating it on the fireground. The incident controller should order a shuttle after considering fire behaviour, water demand, travel time, available tankers and whether direct attack remains feasible. State which conditions require escalation, suspension or return to base, and who can authorise each decision.

Name a tanker shuttle coordinator to maintain the operational picture, while the incident controller retains command and the pump operator controls each appliance. Across agencies or fire management areas, identify who directs each crew, who approves access and where accountability transfers. Equipment plans should suit the Australian market, commonly using locally built tanker bodies on Toyota, Isuzu or Hino chassis.

Assess hazards along the supply route

Every route needs a documented risk assessment. Check width, surface, load limits, overhead branches, powerlines, bridges, cattle, embankments and whether a loaded tanker can turn safely. A four-wheel-drive track may suit the outbound trip but become unsafe on return. Mark turnaround points, exclusion areas and alternate routes before the first load.

Consider smoke, heat, fatigue, dehydration, visibility and changing fire behaviour. Crews should not work beyond the time and fuel limits set by their service, and relief intervals should match volunteer availability. Stop work when conditions, fatigue or vehicle condition make the shuttle unsafe; record the reason and notify the coordinator.

Manage water supply and tanker movement

Calculate demand in litres per second, then compare it with pump capacity, hose lay, draft time, travel distance and refill rate. Include a reserve for spot fires and fireground use. Put tank capacities, flow figures and cycle estimates on a planning sheet so the coordinator can determine how many appliances are needed without relying on memory.

Approve water sources before deployment, including tanks, dams, creeks and reticulation connections, subject to flow, suction and legal extraction conditions. Protect domestic supplies, environmental values and restricted zones. In dry districts, compare the proposed draw with forecast demand and current restrictions; an available source may still be unsuitable for sustained operation.

Specify loading, tie-down, pump operation and offloading. Whether a unit reverses to a relay point or uses a forward lay affects traffic control, hose safety and turnaround time. Use spotters where visibility is limited, and require drivers to report arrival, departure, litres drawn, leakage and pump faults.

Create radio, traffic and handover routines

Use a short radio cycle for each tanker: call sign, destination, estimated arrival, litres loaded, arrival time, quantity delivered and return time. Agree plain English for allocation, hold, refill, diversion and emergency messages. Controllers should log key times and exceptions, not every routine exchange, and require a missed-check procedure when coverage fails.

At the relay point, one person should control entry, parking and hose connections while another watches road and tanker movement. Use signs, cones and high-visibility clothing under local road rules, and brief residents or road workers affected by closures. Never allow a tanker to reverse without a spotter when a one-way movement system is in force.

Coordinate across agencies and communities

Shuttle arrangements frequently connect the CFA, NSW RFS, state emergency services, local councils and interstate crews. Use each state’s emergency coordination arrangements and common operating picture while retaining local command decisions. Agreements should identify who supplies fuel, pumps, hoses, maps, meals and relief crews, and how costs or damage are recorded.

Engage the water authority, catchment manager, Aboriginal community representatives and affected landowners before establishing a permanent drafting point. They may know seasonal flows, cultural sites, access conditions and community needs absent from standard maps. Keep consultation respectful, then place agreed restrictions in the operational plan.

Local terrain matters. Around Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Hobart, bushland can meet suburbs within minutes, while remote roads elsewhere may lack mobile coverage. Provide offline maps, satellite coordinates and a missed-check procedure. Never treat a consumer navigation route as proof that a loaded tanker can pass.

Train, maintain and activate the procedure

Build training around a daylight shuttle drill using realistic distances, narrow gates, tight turns and a relay layout. Test radio discipline, traffic control, pump changes, water accounting and crew relief. Invite neighbouring brigades and partner agencies, and include new volunteers in a controlled exercise before live operations. Record lessons in the revision log.

Keep a controlled master copy with its version, approval date and amendment history. Review after significant incidents, near misses, equipment or regulatory changes, and at least annually before the main fire-danger period. Inspect tankers, pumps, hoses, radios and warning devices through the maintenance system, with defects isolated before an operational role is assigned.

At the next brigade meeting, assign an owner to draft the procedure, appoint a water-source inspector, nominate radio and traffic leads, and book a practical drill. Circulate the draft for member input, then take it to the incident commander or chief for approval. A signed, rehearsed procedure gives every volunteer a clear place in the tanker shuttle.