New structural firefighting props on their way to CFA
.png "The props are currently aboard container ship Milan Maersk. Photo courtesy marinetraffic.com")
The props are currently aboard container ship Milan Maersk. Photo courtesy marinetraffic.com
They look like shipping containers, and now they are arriving the same way. CFA’s two new compartment firefighting props are travelling from the Netherlands to Australia by cargo ship and are expected to arrive in mid-September.
The new compartment firefighting props may look simple from the outside, but inside they create immersive compartments that give firefighters a controlled setting in which to develop their understanding of fire growth, thermodynamics and smoke behaviour.
The props also allow instructors create realistic scenarios based on the conditions members may encounter at structure fires. This includes simulating dangerous flashover conditions and burning smoke.
Once they arrive and go through a commissioning process, the props will be based at CFA’s Bangholme and Central Highlands training campuses, providing structural firefighting training coverage across both the east and west of the state.
The compartment firefighting props represent a major upgrade to CFA’s structural firefighting training, and training on the props will be integrated into the structural firefighting training pathway.
DCO Operational Doctrine and Training Rohan Luke and ACFO Training Delivery David Maxwell visited NSW Rural Fire Service in late 2025 to view their compartment firefighting props in action, calling them a “game changer for structural firefighting training”.
“The highly realistic environment will allow our members to develop and refine the vital skills needed to read fire behaviour and manage interior fire attacks safely and effectively,” Rohan said.
“The controlled environment helps firefighters understand fire growth, smoke behaviour and how to read conditions when they arrive on scene, with the end-to-end training mirroring real-life conditions as much as possible.
“Our props are a slightly different design to NSW RFS, We will include thermal oxidizers, like we have at our fire investigation training facility, to remove smoke and assist with emission control.”
