CFA’s flowon effect

By Paul Dunlop
FIREFIGHTERS faced an unusual challenge when called to an emergency at Pakenham’s Lakeside Village shopping complex on Sunday night.
The problem was not fire, but a flood in the complex’s hydrant and sprinkler pump room.
It remains unclear what prompted the flood but it is believed a burst pipe or other malfunction caused water to spill out onto the pump room floor.
The door to the pump room was locked, making the possibility of foul play unlikely, CFA officials said.
Pakenham CFA captain Vince Ingram said the floor of the pump room was under water and pumping equipment almost completely submerged when firefighters arrived.
“There must have something like 50,000 litres of water spilt,” he said.
“It was a fairly small room, the water was around a metre and a half deep when we got there.”
A dozen CFA volunteers attended the 6pm callout. CFA Fourth Lieutenant Grant Russell was officer in charge.
Mr Ingram said tankers from Pakenham and Tynong were on scene for about four hours helping to pump the water out.
“It was a bit unusual, we generally get fires, not floods,” Mr Ingram said.
The hydrant and sprinkler system services the BiLo supermarket and several other specialty shops in the complex.
Brumby’s Bakery operator Marlene Jones, who is a CFA member, said businesses in the growing shopping area were not affected.
“Everything’s back to normal now.
“People would not even know it had happened,” she said.