Equipment that is rare in regular fire brigade trucks is now at the fingertips of the volunteer firies manning the Burketown Rural Fire Brigade, funded totally by public donations.
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Christened 'Gangalidda burruluwarra' or 'bushfire' in tribal language, the QR 61 heavy attack prototype was built at a cost of $500,000.
Another, also funded by corporate and private generosity, is scheduled to be delivered to Birdsville next April.
Speaking on behalf of the Burketown RFB, Murrandoo Yanner said while the brigade had always had fire-fighting capability they were now equipped to deal with road crashes, meaning the new equipment had life-saving potential.
According to Rural Fire Brigade Association of Queensland general manager Justin Choveaux, when an accident occurs in remote locations like Burketown or Birdsville, no-one other than the local emergency services are likely to be on the spot to assist for many hours.
"Whatever you find is your problem," he said, explaining the extended capabilities of the new truck. "At the last big road accident in the region, the Rural Fire Brigade guys were there for 30 hours."
As well as battery-operated cutting gear allowing for flexibility, it's equipped with things as simple as a marquee so that a shaded command area can easily be set up.
Features of the truck are its 2700 litre water-holding capacity and a large compressed air foam system, incorporating the latest fire-fighting technology that has better extinguishing properties and means water can go further.
"This half million dollar truck far exceeds what the brigade had previously," Mr Choveaux said. "With an airport, bulk fuel storage, health clinic, school, petrol station and everything else that goes into a remote community, the volunteer firefighters see this new fire truck as a platform that can meet their needs like no other RFSQ truck has in the past."
The new truck is the property of the Burketown Rural Fire Brigade and QFES, and the RFSQ have supplied the light bars, radios, stowage and the road crash rescue gear, valued at $50,000, for it and the forthcoming Birdsville truck.