May 18, 2021
Wooroolin’s team of auxiliary firefighters have at least one very good reason to welcome their new $1.57 million fire station.
They now have enough space to change into their uniforms!
At the old Wooroolin station, firies had to move their fire truck out of the way before they could get ready to go out on a job.
The spacious new Wooroolin Fire and Rescue Station was officially opened by Fire and Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan on Tuesday morning.
It is located just down the highway from the old station, but that is where the similarities end.
Lieutenant Steve Roberts, one of the senior auxiliaries at Wooroolin, said the old station had just enough room to park one appliance, with a small training room at the rear.
The new station has a training room, kitchenette, duty office, ladder drill platform and lots of extra storage.
“It will improve our operational readiness,” he said.
At the moment, there are eight auxiliary firefighters based at Wooroolin but the new station has been built to allow expansion of capacity in the future if required.
The Wooroolin firies not only look after the local township area; they also assist at incidents as far away as Ballogie and Durong as well as backing up Wondai and Kingaroy units.
Speaking at the opening, QFES Commissioner Greg Leach thanked the auxiliaries for the work they do in the community and the builders who had erected the new station.
“There’s a lot of effort that does into building a fire station like this,” he said.
“We try to build into it all of the latest safety features … we want you to serve your communities well but we want you to be happy, healthy and safe in doing it.”
Minister Ryan said the new station was an investment in the community as well as emergency response.
“It shows the community that government and its fire service are committed to this community,” Minister Ryan said.
“We wouldn’t be making these significant investments if there wasn’t that commitment.”
The 2018-19 State Budget included an allocation of $800,000 out of the then-estimated $1.4 million total cost for the new fire station.
Earthworks ahead of construction began in late 2020.
After the Wooroolin opening, Commissioner Leach and Minister Ryan headed to Charlton, near Toowoomba, to open a new $18.25 million fire and emergency services centre.
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