Firefighter recruits to graduate

A scuba instructor, a martial artist and a former member of Steve Irwin’s croc team are amongst the latest batch of recruits to be welcomed into the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS).

The thirty-two new fire fighting recruits will graduate tomorrow morning at the Sleeman Sports Complex at Chandler, before being dispatched across the state to put their new skills into practice.

Following 16 weeks of intensive training in areas such as structural fires, bushfires, road crashes and chemical incidents, the group will celebrate their achievements with family and friends before starting work later this week.

Minister for Emergency Services Neil Roberts said each of the recruits bring highly sought after qualities to the service.

“The recruits come from a diverse range of countries and backgrounds,” he said.

“We have recruits joining us from as far abroad as the UK, Germany and Trinidad and Tobago.

“And each of the recruits brings experience in a range of different fields including policing and defence as well as a former member of Steve Irwin’s croc team from Australia Zoo.

“But the past 16 weeks of training has united them in their goals to become firefighters and serve the community and we are proud to have them join the QFRS family.”

QFRS Commissioner Lee Johnson said Queensland’s recruits have come through one of the most rigorous and thorough training courses anywhere.

“These graduates are among the best trained fire fighters in the world. They can face and deal with any number of emergency situations which not only includes fires but also road crashes, chemical incidents and other rescue scenarios,” Mr Johnson said.

“They also have had the advantage of training on our state-of-the-art live fire training pad, where they have learnt about fire behaviour and fire fighting techniques under realistic, but safe, conditions.”

The recruits will be posted across the state including stations at Brisbane, Beenleigh, Townsville, Mt Isa, Gold Coast, Innisfail, Mackay and the Atherton Tablelands.

Date: Thursday, 16th October 2008

Time: 10am

Address: Sleeman Sports Complex, Old Cleveland & Tilly Rd, Chandler

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