January 28, 2016
Rural fire volunteers across the South and North Burnett regions will benefit from a new Queensland Fire and Emergency Services office which was officially opened in Kingaroy on Thursday morning.
The new QFES Area Command facility is located in the former CTC Employment Services building near Subway.
QFES Deputy Commissioners Mark Roche and Mike Wassing travelled to Kingaroy for the opening ceremony.
Mr Wassing said the $153,000 facility was a welcome boost for the rural firefighters in the Burnett who provided a life-saving service for their communities.
“The Area Command Facility is home to the new Rural Fire Service Queensland Burnett Area Office,” he said.
“The office will support 2334 volunteers, 181 fire wardens and 89 brigades across the North and South Burnett.
“Previously this assistance was provided from Bundaberg, Maryborough and Caloundra, but will now be on hand locally.
“Whether it’s providing support on the ground during a fire, assisting with training for rural firefighters, or engaging stakeholders to help mitigate the bushfire risk, the Area Office is there to help.”
Mr Wassing said rural fire volunteers would be supported by five staff in the Burnett Area Office:
- Area Director
- Administrative Officer
- Area Training and Support Officer
- Bushfire Safety Officer, and
- Brigade Training and Support Officer
“Rural firefighters give up many hours of their time to protect their communities from the threat of potentially devastating fires, and this new office ensures they have the support they need,” Mr Wassing said.
“The facility has two training rooms which can be used as an Incident Control Centre during significant events.”
QFES Deputy Commissioner Mark Roche said the QFES Area Command Facility would also be home to the Fire and Rescue Service’s Kingaroy Area Command, supporting the work of the town’s urban firefighters.
“This is a fine example of collaboration between the valued services that make up QFES,” Mr Roche said.
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After the official opening, several of the visiting QFES officials visited the new McEuen Rural Fire Brigade shed which is close to completion.
They chatted with volunteer firefighters from local brigades over lunch.
McEuen First Officer Greg Day said the get-together had been very productive.
“The officers saw our new facilities at first hand, and we were able to talk about various issues that our brigades have to deal with,” he said.
One issue raised was prospects for the coming fire season.
“We’ve been very fortunate to get a lot of good rains this season,” Greg said.
“This has been particularly welcome for our cattle producers, and we’re very happy to see them get a lot of grass.
“But once things cool down and the frosts come this is going to create a lot of fuel, so it’s something we’ll all need to keep an eye on.”
