MOUNT Gambier’s Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) will not receive a new truck but might receive a re-commissioned truck from an Adelaide MFS station following the State Government committing to 12 additional fire trucks over its first term of government.
The election commitment was honoured in the State Budget and Acting Minister for Emergency Services, Kyam Maher announced that the MFS had this week placed an order for the new fire trucks to bolster the existing fleet.
A spokesperson for the Minister said the 12 new trucks would be destined for Adelaide based stations, and the trucks they replace would be re-commissioned and distributed among regional stations.
The MFS operates from 20 stations throughout greater metropolitan Adelaide and 17 stations in major regional centres.
Mount Gambier is one of the regional centres in the MFS stable.
However, the spokesperson could not confirm if one of the re-commissioned trucks would come to Mount Gambier.
“The appliances that will be replaced by this new order of 12 trucks will be re-commissioned for SA’s regions, but the specific location and timeframe of their delivery won’t be known until the new trucks arrive in SA,” the spokesperson said.
Each appliance takes 18 months to two years to build.
A statement from the Minister’s office said the new Heavy Urban Pumpers were ordered this week, after a total sum of $14.1 million over four years was allocated in the Budget to provide appliances and maintenance necessities.
“As well as the 12 new trucks, funding for two fully qualified mechanics and two apprentices was included in the Budget,” the statement said.
“The recruitment process for all four positions is nearing completion.”
