Murphy’s Creek RFB will receive the Innovation Platform
Monday, 31 Jan 2022
The Management Committee of the RFBAQ met on Friday in Gympie to review grant applications.
Rupertswood RFB in the Townsville RFSQ Area were approved for $5,000 towards suspension upgrades and vehicle protection on their support vehicle.
Silver Spur RFB in the Western Rivers RFSQ Area were approved for $9,000 towards a ride on mower and brushcutter to maintain the station grounds. (Silver Spur RFB do not receive a Rural Fire Levy.)
A Hardship Grant for 0.5 km of fencing wire and pickets was approved for a brigade member affected by flooding in the Western Rivers RFSQ Area. This is the 7th hardship grant providing 11.5 km of fencing wire and pickets from local suppliers to brigade members in the Western Rivers RFSQ Area.
Murphy’s Creek RFB in the West Moreton RFSQ Area will be the recipients of the RFBAQ/QuikCorp Innovation Platform. Murphy’s Creek is located at the base of the Toowoomba range on the eastern side below Spring Bluff. The RFBAQ and brigade will soon meet to discuss the fit out of the vehicle. The crew protection system, while cutting edge 18 months ago, has now been superseded by a lighter, quicker CAFS system and the RFBAQ will talk to the brigade about refitting the vehicle at no expense to the brigade. Depending on the scope of work and availability of the vehicle builders it is hoped to have handover before the end of the financial year.
The RFBAQ would like to thank all the brigades that applied for the Innovation Platform. Your applications show that there is a need for RFSQ to produce a rugged light attack with good off road capabilities.
As with the other 10 vehicles that the RFBAQ have funded and given to brigades in the last 14 months; the Innovation Platform will be owned by Murphy’s Creek RFB with RFSQ kindly covering the fuel, maintenance and insurance. This means that at the end of the vehicle's life, the brigade can dispose of the vehicle and keep any funds realised.
Pinelands RFB in the Darling Downs RFSQ Area will be the recipients of the cascaded Ford Ranger light attack. This brigade is located between Cooyar and Crows Nest on the New England highway and currently is one of the 60% of Rural Fire Brigades that do not have a fire truck.
The RFBAQ would again sincerely like to thank Mercedes-Benz Australia for donating the cab chassis and to the Dowling Family Foundation who made a very generous donation to the RFBAQ to help cover the cost of equipment, fit-out, registration and insurance.
The RFBAQ / Quikcorp Innovation Platform would also like to thank the sponsors who have whole heartedly backed this process from inception and who are all invested in trying to give firefighters a safer vehicle to work from and retreat to.
A special thank you to QuikCorp for making this all happen.
The crew safety learnings from the Innovation Platform will be coupled with the RFBAQ Landcruiser light attack design to produce the ‘Fusion Cruiser'. The intent is to have this vehicle completed by FarmFest in June 2022.