- Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) has established an accelerated procurement plan to enhance vehicle supply
- The Rural Fire Service (RFS) expect the delivery of 127 rural fire appliances during the next two financial years (2023/24 and 2024/25)
- $24.11 million has been allocated in the 2023/24 QFES budget towards RFS fleet improvements
In a post-covid world where vehicle supply chains are continuing to recover, QFES has taken the proactive approach to fleet procurement by working with suppliers to streamline processes, find time-line efficiencies and deliver vehicles to the frontline as quickly as possible.
The 2023/24 QFES budget has a total of $16.16 million allocated to new and replacement frontline vehicles and a further $6.95 million for support vehicles, including command vehicles, slip-on units and all terrain vehicles, for the RFS.
Further to the advances in fleet, $1 million has been allocated to continue the retrofit of deluge systems on RFS vehicles, enhancing safety for rural firefighting volunteers.
Of the 127 rural fire appliances expected in the next two financial years, 83 are medium attack appliances which are most commonly used for bushfire response by rural fire brigades.
In addition, QFES will go to market this year for a further 285 rural fire appliances over three years bringing the fleet pipeline program to 412 vehicles.
Quotes attributable to the Minister:
“The State Government is committed to ensuring firefighting volunteers have the safest and most effective vehicles and equipment we can provide,” he said.
“In addition to the delivery of 127 new vehicles in the next two financial years, QFES will go to the market this financial year for a three-year Rural Fire Service appliance build program, for an additional 285 appliances.
“This will bring the total fleet pipeline program to 412 appliances and is on top of the 413 appliances that have already been delivered by the Palaszczuk Government since 2015.
Quotes attributable to Commissioner Leach:
“It’s vital that we have a modern firefighting fleet to be able to respond to the thousands of bushfires we have here in Queensland each year,” he said.
“Reliable, fit-for-purpose vehicles are imperative to ensuring our rural firefighters can undertake the important work they do to protect lives and property.
“Between the pipeline of new appliances, and what has already been delivered, this program represents the replacement of around 80% of the Rural Fire Service appliance fleet, since 2015.”
