Mark Shelton,Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government is committed to ensuring the safety of all Tasmanians, particularly those who protect our communities.
Today I am pleased to announce that two new heavy pumper fire trucks, the most technologically advanced in Australia, have been added to the Tasmania Fire Service fleet.
The trucks were designed by Tasmanian career firefighters and will extend firefighting capability across the state.
The state of the art safety features will help keep our firefighters safe with specialised technology for emergency situations, including:
- A fire monitor on the roof of the trucks, allowing each to deliver 4000 litres of water a minute when at capacity; and
- In-built air foam system, allowing the trucks to be used during structure fires, asset protection at bushfires, flammable liquid and tyre fires.
With two of the short term AFAC recommendations implemented and all remaining short term recommendations to be implemented ahead of the Summer bushfire season, Tasmania will now be even more prepared with these new trucks located in Launceston and Hobart.
Rather than seeking to politicise fires and scaremongering, Labor and the Greens should be joining the Government in supporting our fire agency experts and the work they do.
Let's not forget it was the failed Labor-Green Government that ignored the advice of previous reviews recommending the establishment of a fuel reduction burning program, which took this Liberal Government to implement.
