RUSSELL Island residents are being asked to back a push for paid firefighters and a dedicated urban fire truck, with State Member for Redlands Rebecca Young saying emergency services must keep pace with the island’s booming population.
Mrs Young has launched a Join My Voice campaign calling for an auxiliary firefighting service to work alongside the island’s existing Rural Fire Brigade.
The campaign comes as population forecasts cited by Mrs Young put Russell Island’s growth from about 3700 residents in 2021 to more than 5400 this year.
“The growth has happened. Now we need to support it,” Mrs Young said.
Her call follows the heartbreaking 2023 Russell Island house fire which claimed the lives of a father and his five young sons.
Mrs Young said no-one should speculate about whether different firefighting arrangements could have changed that devastating outcome.
“But we can ask important questions about the resources available to protect our island community,” she said.
“Our Rural Fire Service volunteers do an incredible job, and their contribution to protecting Russell Island should never be underestimated.
“But rural and urban firefighting require different capabilities.”
Mrs Young said structural firefighting – including entering burning buildings to fight fires and rescue people – required specialised training, equipment and authorisation.
She is calling for paid auxiliary firefighters trained in structural firefighting, along with a dedicated urban fire truck permanently based on the island.
“This isn’t about replacing our Rural Fire Brigade. It’s about backing them up,” she said.
Division 5 Councillor Shane Rendalls said the Rural Fire Service was a critical part of life on Russell Island and across the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.
“Our volunteers do an exceptional job protecting our community, but urban structural firefighting requires different equipment, specialised training and additional resources,” Cr Rendalls said.
“As Russell Island continues to grow, it is important that emergency services grow with it.”
Community feedback will form part of Mrs Young’s discussions with the Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers – residents can have their say, and enter a generator giveaway, at listen2locals.com/qld/russell-island-firefighting.
