The Tasmanian government has outlined a $14 million plan to take 79 ageing fire trucks off the roads by the end of 2020, with 25 new trucks to be in service by the end of August.
A further 70 trucks will be rolled out over the next four years, all with state-of-the-art safety systems designed to protect crews in the event of entrapment and burn-over.
According to police, fire and emergency minister Rene Hidding, the initiative not only benefits the Tasmanian Fire Service, but also supports local industry.
“The new fire trucks will provide the community with the highest level of protection, as well as increasing safety for firefighters in emergency situations,” Hidding said.
“All the new trucks are being designed and manufactured in Tasmania by TFS Engineering Services, which will support local jobs in line with our Buy Local Policy.”
The new trucks will replace light tankers in the TFS fleet that are 26-32 years old.
