Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has announced that it will be replacing its 22-year-old fleet of bushfire tankers with Isuzu FSRs.
The new tankers are multi-purpose Isuzu FRS models, equipped with a ‘halo’ water spray system and a 3,500-litre water tank.
They will enable crews to access difficult terrain during bush fires and other emergencies, while offering greater protection to firefighters as well as the communities they serve.
The change in vehicles occurs following the NSW Government’s response to its Bushfire Inquiry recommendations, which now totals $80 million in funding for the emergency service organisation.
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery, Steph Cooke, said a further $9 million in this week’s Budget will provide the 16 new bush fire tankers to FRNSW’s fleet.
“The additional funding for 16 more tankers means FRNSW will be armed with an entirely new fleet of modern, advanced and environmentally-friendly fire trucks to better respond to whatever bush fire threats emerge,” she said.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the final instalment of funding for FRNSW in response to the inquiry into the 2019-20 Black Summer fires is an important milestone in the NSW Government’s commitment to learn all lessons and implement all findings from the deadly bush fires.
“We know how important it is to protect our communities by making sure our frontline of emergency response is equipped to handle whatever comes its way,” Kean said.