Fire and Emergency Services Minister to hand over new equipment to Bundaberg SES

Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford will tonight (Monday) hand over equipment worth more than $70,000 to the State Emergency Service (SES) Bundaberg Unit volunteers.

Mr Crawford said the new flood boat with trailer and outboard motor was funded through Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ (QFES) SES Major Equipment Replacement Program.

“The Palaszczuk Government – and QFES ­– is continuing to ensure our staff and volunteers are well-equipped to serve their communities when they need help,” Mr Crawford said.

“In Queensland, we see more than our fair share of natural disasters and emergencies, so it is imperative that resources such as these are provided to SES volunteers to help people to protect themselves and their property.”

Since July this year, the Bundaberg SES unit has volunteered 256 hours in operational tasking.

“These dedicated volunteers also undertook more than 2400 hours in training, administration, group exercises, courses, public education, recruitment, fundraising and equipment maintenance,” Mr Crawford said.

“Simply put, they help their communities prepare for, respond to and recover from a range of emergencies and disasters.

QFES Deputy Commissioner Mike Wassing said the new equipment would help SES volunteers protect and build resilience within the North Coast Region.

“SES volunteers perform a wide range of functions including community education, flood boat operations, incident management, search, traffic management and storm response,” Mr Wassing said.

“The hours SES volunteers dedicate is crucial and this equipment will help us to serve local communities in Bundaberg and surrounding areas.”

ENDS

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