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Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has pledged a further $125 million for the triple zero call-taking and dispatch service.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

“Fixing triple zero saves lives,fixing triple zero once and for all is going to give Victorians confidence in the triple-zero dispatch system,” Guy said on Friday. “There’s no doubt there’s been a loss of confidence in the dispatch system.”

However,the secretaries of the Victorian Ambulance Union and the United Firefighters Union warned the Coalition’s pledge that 50 per cent of staff would be trained to deal with calls for any service was flawed and dangerous.

Danny Hill,secretary of the ambulance union,said while the unions had always welcomed the opportunity for staff to be multi-skilled,the reality was far more complex.

“It’s incredibly stressful and quite challenging to move from police to fire and to ambulance and around in circles unless you’re very experienced,” Hill said.

“Forcing half of the staff to become multi-skilled call-takers just adds to the burnout of the workforce,adds to the stress of the workforce,and it could be dangerous if you’re forcing people to take on more work ... It’s just fraught with danger.”

United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall welcomed the additional $125 million investment,but derided the major parties for simply “throwing money” at ESTA.

He said the state government must conduct a comprehensive review of the organisation,including whether each emergency service organisation should bring back in house the emergency call-taking and dispatch service.

“Given the complexities of the individual emergency service organisations,the operating protocols[for call-takers and dispatchers] are complex,” Marshall said.

“It is unlikely that one individual will be able to become proficient with all protocols given the different type of responses required by each service,but most importantly,in an environment where there’s no room for error.”

The opposition’s move comes after a report from the Inspector General for Emergency Management,Tony Pearce,found 33 Victorians died from emergencies linked to triple-zero delays and “agency command and control issues”. Pearcesaid ESTA’s lack of resources during the COVID-19 surge was “exacerbated by its current workforce model of limited multi-skilled call-takers”.

However,the unions argue the skills required for each call-taking and dispatch service is vastly different and forcing half the staff to become multi-skilled is akin to requiring a co-pilot to become the lead pilot before they are confident to do so.

Government Services Minister Danny Pearson said the Coalition could not be trusted to deliver on its healthcare and emergency services promises.

“Matthew Guy and the Liberals have privatised,in the past,triple zero. They have slashed frontline police numbers,they’ve cut the number of call-takers,and also slashed hospital funding,” Pearson said.

Guy said the Coalition would fund the commitment by reprioritising money from the first section of the Suburban Rail Loop. The state government has committed $11 billion,and expects the remaining two-thirds to come from the federal government and value-capture.

The Andrews government has already spent $2.3 billion on initial works,leaving Guy with about $9 billion. However,the Coalition’s health promises have already ballooned to $11.26 billion.

Nationals leader Peter Walsh has pledged to spend $8 billion on regional healthcare,which includes commitments for hospitals in Mildura and Mansfield.

The Coalition has also announced about $1 billion for a hospital in Melton,$400 million for an infectious diseases hospital,$900 million for a children’s hospital in Werribee,and $125 million for ESTA.

Guy said his announcements so far totalled about $6 billion,and he would not be borrowing any money to fund the health commitments.

“We will be sensible,responsible,and we will have everything funded and costed,” Guy said.

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