MORE than 150 emergency services gathered at Arthurs Seat Eagle on 17 September for a large-scale rescue simulation aimed to prepare for a real-life emergency. The popular tourist attraction on the Mornington Peninsula was temporarily closed to allow the training session involving CFA, VICSES, Fire Rescue Victoria, Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police, and the Mornington Peninsula Shire to test their management plan.
The operation involved a complex mock scenario where 24 trapped passengers were safely extricated from six gondolas following a simulated mechanical failure. This included helping a person in a wheelchair, and with a guide dog and baby.
Dromana Fire Brigade 1st Lieutenant and exercise Incident Controller Jason Fevola, who led the operation, said it was an important opportunity for agencies to work side-by-side and sharpen their response ahead of the busy summer period. “Days like this are fantastic to test and train our joint response, making sure we’ve got everything ironed out, so if something does happen in the future, we’re well prepared to protect our community,” Fevola said.
“The gondola is a really unique resource and although we have similar in the ski fields and other alpine regions, in this area, teams really need to be familiar with what goes on and how we undertake a rescue.” “Everyone got a chance to test their technology, and this year CFA has introduced drone capability, which gives us live visibility shots that go straight back to our IMT (Incident Management Team),” Fevola said.
CFA assistant chief fire officer for district eight Sean Kerr said the operation was an opportunity to put their skills into practice. “In this situation, trained ASE rescuers zipline to the gondola roof before abseiling down to the gondola doors to attach trapped passengers to a harness and safely lower them to the ground,” Kerr said. “It requires a lot of training and practice, and we need to understand the complexities of undertaking rescues within these systems, so we know exactly where the issues are.”
First published in the Mornington News – 23 September 2025
