Grantham firies get new truck

Grantham rural fire fighters, from left, Andrew McLoughlin, Mar Purton, Wally Riemer, Vivienne Jamieson, Peter Ingold, Geoff King and Anthony MacDonald with the new truck. Photo: Chris Smith

AS IT prepares for the looming fire season, the Grantham Rural Fire Brigade took possession of a new Isuzu 4x4 truck and Isuzu genset yesterday, replacing vehicles lost when an inland tsunami tore through the town on January 10.

Grantham Rural Fire Brigade Vivienne Jamieson first officer said the town was in recovery mode and yesterday’s gesture from Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) could not have come at a better time.

“This vehicle will replace the two that we lost during the floods, so it’ll be a help especially when the fire season starts again,” she said.

With the fire season expected within three months, Ms Jamieson said high temperatures had already caused grasses to die back,and it was definitely time for the firefighters to get ready.

IAL managing director and chief executive officer Yuki Murata said Queenland had been a strong and successful market for Isuzu, and the company had built a strong relationship with QRFS.

“It extends well beyond the relationship between a truck supplier and customers,” he said.

“In times of adversity like this we wanted to reciprocate and do something for the local authority and the local people in this region.”

QFRS Rural Operations Regional Manager Ewan Cayzer said five vehicles were lost and many stations were damaged in the Lockyer Valley because of water.

“The worst was Murphy’s Creek which had significant damage and will have to be rebuilt pretty much from the slab upwards,” he said.

He said the recovery process to fix the damaged building was well on the way and the QRFS was now working with insurers to start the rebuilding process.

“We have already got quotes to go ahead and rebuild, so once the insurers are happy and everything is in place we will start to rebuild. It will be possibly up to six months till they are back up to normal though,” he explained.