Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to rise today and take this opportunity to acknowledge the terrific hard work of our volunteer firefighters in our Rural Fire Service, who are at this moment busily preparing for the bush fire season. In my electorate of Forde we have four rural fire brigades, with teams at Ormeau, Chambers Flat, Cedar Creek and Coomera Valley, providing a range of services to keep their local communities safe. In Queensland we have more than 36,000 Rural Fire Service volunteers. We often say volunteers are the heart and soul of a community, and the volunteers at the Rural Fire Service in my electorate are testament to that.

There is a perception that the main role of a rural fire brigade volunteer is active firefighting, but the job is so much more. Fire prevention is a big part of being a rural firefighter, with volunteers often undertaking a range of planning and preparation activities throughout the year, including hazard reduction burns to minimise the potential for bushfires getting out of control. But our rural firies also play an important role in community education. Timely and effective fire prevention and education save lives. Rural fire brigade members deliver a variety of community education programs, from spreading the 'Prepare. Act. Survive.' bushfire survival message; to their Safehome initiative to assist householders in recognising fire and safety hazards in and around the home. On top of this, our rural firefighters control the use of fire with specific permits and respond to outbreaks of fires within their local area as well as surrounding areas in support of other rural fire brigades and emergency service workers. Rural Fire Service volunteers can often be seen on deployment to assist other states during fire disasters and help other emergency service agencies during events of flood and storms. It is a tough job, but I am glad that we have some amazing volunteers and wardens at the rural fire brigades in my electorate.

Firefighting and fire prevention are a difficult task, but it can be made easier in the lead-up to the bushfire season if families have home evacuation and emergency plans in place. Whether you live in the city, the suburbs or the rural parts of my electorate, now more than ever it is important to have a bushfire survival plan. Your plan will detail how you can prepare and what action to take if threatened by a bushfire. A well-prepared plan can save lives, and it will also help our rural fire brigade volunteers, who risk their lives to save yours. Please get in touch with your local rural fire brigade to prepare your bushfire survival plan. (Time expired)