Volunteers and staff from the South Australian State Emergency Service (SES), SA Country Fire Service (CFS) and Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) will travel to Queensland in the coming week to assist with the unfolding flood emergency across the north of the state.
This morning a 20-member SES deployment flew out of Adelaide to support operations out of Townsville, which has been hit hard with flash flooding and intense storms.
The deployment to Queensland is one of three SA SES rotations planned in the coming week to help with response and recovery efforts in devastated areas.
The first group of SES volunteers hail from metropolitan Adelaide as well as regional areas including Port Augusta and Kangaroo Island.
“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the South Australian emergency services personnel whose hard work, bravery, and dedication is deeply appreciated,” said CFS Chief Officer, Brett Loughlin.
“A special thank you to the families and loved ones of those deployed. We understand these deployments can be challenging, and your support plays a crucial role in making this possible.”
The CFS and MFS will also send two joint strike teams to assist with the flood emergency, departing on Sunday 9 February and Wednesday 12 February.
Each five-day rotation comprises 10 personnel of CFS volunteers and MFS firefighters, demonstrating South Australia’s commitment across our emergency services to support interstate agencies.
In total, around 60 frontline personnel from the SES, CFS and MFS will be deployed to support Queensland communities.
“Our emergency service members are answering the call to help communities in need across the border,” said Minister for Emergency Services, Emily Bourke.
“From Queensland to Victoria, dedicated volunteers are putting their own lives on hold to support devastated areas and we are thankful for their tireless efforts,” she said.
“The MFS is proud to support our interstate colleagues in Queensland during this critical time, just as they would support us if we were facing a similar emergency,” said MFS Chief Officer, Jeff Swann.
“Emergency services are about mutual aid and collaboration, and we stand ready to assist in any way we can to help the Queensland community through this devastating event.”
The deployment comes as South Australian emergency services personnel answer the call to help fight significant fires in Victoria, with CFS brigades in the state’s South East providing cross-border support, including battling a blaze in the Little Desert National Park.
Department for Environment and Water (DEW) specialist firefighters have also been deployed to assist with firefighting efforts and SES crews have helped with Victorian staging areas.
