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In Parliament the Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts was asked when he intended to give frontline rural fire-fighter in Queensland standard red and blue flashing warning lights on rural fire-fighting vehicles.
The LNP spokesman, Ted Malone asked the Question on Notice of Minister Roberts in State Parliament recently and the Minister now had 30 days to respond.
“It’s a perfectly reasonable and legitimate request because rural fire-fighting vehicles have to use public roads and regularly attend incidents on our major highways such as the Warrego and Cunningham Highways, they also have to access properties to fight bushfires, often along roads in thick smoke,” Mr Rickuss said.
“Their counterparts in most other States have their vehicles fitted with red and blue flashers and there’s no reason why our rural fire-fighters who have a similar role to play particularly when attending accidents on our major highways should not have access to this safer standard of warning.”
“This isn’t a matter of who has the brightest lights, but surely a safety issue, that our emergency services personnel, whether they be rural fire fighters, police, ambulance or urban fire fighters, need the highest standard of safety available.
Mr Rickuss said the red and blue lights were needed to better warn on-coming motorists of impending danger and at the same time better protect the emergency services personnel.
“Queensland rural fire-fighting vehicles are fitted with orange flashes, but expert opinion says they not as effective as the recognised red and blue flashing warning lights.”
Mr Rickuss said change over cost would be minimal.
3 December 2009
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