The Palaszczuk Government’s newest emergency responders have earnt their helmets at the latest Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) graduation ceremony today.
Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard said the new QFES recruits will join the 3,346 QFES officers already deployed across the state, including to Ipswich, Bundaberg and Beenleigh.
“Since 2015 our Government has welcomed 372 QFES graduates to the force, including 52 female officers,” Ms Howard said.
“This is on top of the 216,000 new jobs that the Palaszczuk Government has already created since 2015.”
Member for Ipswich West Jim Madden said the Government is all about backing local jobs and helping Queenslanders get those jobs across various industries.
“Today’s graduates from the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy brings home just how important that is to keep building our state”, Mr Madden said.
Member for Bundamba Jo-Ann Miller said today’s graduates had proven themselves to meet the highest standards demanded by QFES.
“This will provide towns across Queensland with much needed additional resources to cope with the worst of what Mother Nature can throw our way,” Mrs Miller said.
Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Craig Crawford said the government had delivered a record 2019-20 $740 million budget to protect Queensland communities.
“We’re continuing to build the capacity of our first responders to improve their ability to respond to natural disasters, including cyclones and bushfires. This includes a $50 million for new fire and rescue and rural fire appliances state-wide.
Ipswich Recruits David Martin and Neil Shave said they were extremely proud to join QFES, among graduates from different backgrounds, who all share the same passion for creating safe and resilient communities.
“Our training has included live fire behaviour, wildfire training, road crash and technical rescue and training in hazardous materials management,” Mr Martin said.
“One of the best experiences was the team atmosphere and the inspiration of our instructors, who are extremely dedicated to ensuring we have the necessary skills to serve the community,” Mr Shave said.
Graduates were presented with a Public Safety Certificate II in Fire Fighting and Emergency Operations.
