THREE Port Stephens Rural Fire Service brigades have received a major boost ahead of the upcoming bushfire season, with new firefighting vehicles officially handed over as part of a multi-million-dollar investment in volunteer firefighting resources.
The Fingal Bay, Medowie and Williamtown-Salt Ash brigades were among 10 Lower Hunter brigades to receive new vehicles during an official handover at the Lower Hunter Fire Control Centre in East Maitland on Monday.
The $4.1 million fleet includes a mix of bulk water tankers capable of carrying up to 11,000 litres of water, frontline bushfire tankers, smaller all-terrain firefighting vehicles and specialist trucks designed to respond to structure fires and a range of emergency incidents.
The new appliances will support local volunteers responding to bush and grass fires, and also storms, motor vehicle crashes and other emergencies across Port Stephens.
Medowie residents have had their first official look at the town’s newest firefighting vehicle, a state-of-the-art Tatra pumper, which will strengthen emergency response across Medowie and surrounding communities.
The vehicle is one of only three of its kind operating in NSW and has already responded to several emergency incidents since arriving at the brigade.
“The Tatra pumper is four-wheel drive, has improved pumping capacity and better lighting, making it more capable in a wide range of emergency situations,” Captain Collins said.
“One of the biggest improvements is that firefighters can put on their breathing apparatus while travelling to an incident and complete their safety checks on board, allowing crews to get to work much faster once they arrive.”
He said the Tatra pumper also offered better manoeuvrability and a more powerful engine than the brigade’s existing vehicles.
Deputy Captain and Brigade Equipment Officer Ross O’Neill said the new pumper was a major step forward in the brigade’s firefighting capability.
“It has a gross vehicle mass of 20 tonnes and a pumping capacity of 3,000 litres per minute,” Deputy Captain O’Neill said.
“It is considerably more powerful than our other trucks and gives us greater capability when responding to emergencies.”
Before the vehicle entered service, brigade members completed a full day of specialist training with the manufacturer to ensure crews were confident operating the new equipment.
The Medowie Rural Fire Brigade has also invested between $3,000 and $4,000 in additional equipment to customise the vehicle for local operational needs.
“A lot of that funding has come from our community,” Captain Collins said.
“ We’re a volunteer brigade and we’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support we receive.”
RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin said the State’s investment recognised the dedication of volunteer firefighters.
“Our volunteers give their time, skills and experience to support their communities, and it’s important they have the resources they need to carry out that work safely and effectively.
“It is a good reminder of the importance of the community to also get ready for the bush fire season, by preparing their homes and discussing their bush fire survival plan.”
Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington said local volunteers deserved modern equipment.
“I’m incredibly grateful to our brigade volunteers who selflessly step up to protect lives and livelihoods,” she said.
She said the Government was pleased to back the volunteers with the resources they needed to defend our communities.
The NSW Government has committed $470 million over 10 years to modernise the NSW Rural Fire Service fleet, with ownership of more than 6,000 firefighting vehicles set to transfer from local councils to the RFS from July 2027.
By Althea GUINSBERG and Jacie WHITFIELD
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