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Questions Without Notice Questions without notice are asked of Ministers and answered during Question Time.
Mr LAWLOR asked the Minister for Emergency Services (Mr Cummins) -
With reference to page 4 of the Ministerial Portfolio Statement which mentions several funding allocations for information and communication systems and as quality information is essential to any emergency service response-
What has his department done to ensure that our emergency service professionals and volunteers located across this vast State have access to the best information and communications equipment?
Mr CUMMINS:
I thank the Member for his Question and would like to congratulate him on his ongoing strong support for Emergency Services within his electorate. The Department of Emergency Services (DES) major information and communications technology initiatives being planned across the State, including the following:
A project for a Joint Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Communications Project, in conjunction with the Queensland Police Service (QPS). This project is examining the CAD system, radio networks, emergency communications centres, telephone networks and associated emergency response communications networks across the State;
Tender approval for an Interim CAD project for the provision of an interim system to replace the three different CAD systems, currently being utilised by the Queensland Ambulance Service and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, with the one common Statewide system.
The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) has the following projects in progress, for this financial year:
upgrading and extending the emergency communications centres in Townsville, Maroochydore and Southport to assist with management of the ongoing growth in demand for QAS services;
29 satellite telephone units being installed in ambulance vehicles across the State, including 8 in the Northern Region, 15 in the South Western Region and 6 in the Far Northern Region. Satellite telephone units will also be installed in emergency communications centres to provide emergency backup telephone service enhancements;
3 new radio repeater sites being installed to extend or improve the coverage of the networks west of Townsville, at the Brisbane Airport and at Boronia Heights in the Logan area;
a project to enhance the radio network for emergency communications centre operations.
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) has the following projects in progress for this financial year:
a remote alarms project providing fire alarm and station turnout improvements at 71 fire stations
replacement of older Very High Frequency (VHF) radio repeaters (used in urban areas) with Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio repeaters at 5 sites, 2 VHF site upgrades for rural operations and 6 site upgrades to support site linking changes. An additional 9 sites are being installed to meet the higher priority extended radio coverage requirements for urban and rural operational areas;
iZone Project radios in urban and rural vehicles to allow direct intercommunications between appliances in the areas where urban and rural operations occur. This will enhance operational staff safety and improve communications for operations. An additional 114 radios are to be installed in operational vehicles and in 30 fire stations to meet prioritised operational requirements;
satellite telephones in 29 operational vehicles across the State and 1 support vehicle, with similar units being installed in QFRS communications centres for backup operation and direct satellite network access;
enhancements of the existing Station Turnout System;
enhancements to the emergency communications network to allow additional resilience and redundancy for remote area radio services and communications centre support, and
new fire station turnout services in conjunction with new fire stations being developed across the State.
The Counter Disaster and Rescue Service (CDRS) will also replace 250 UHF handheld radios and 12 UHF radio repeaters this financial year.
This communications equipment will replace older and technically obsolete portable hand held radios, ensuring reliable communications for SES operations in all weather conditions. It will also equip the SES flood boat fleet with UHF mobile radios providing improved operational communications and safety for SES floodboat crews and will see new UHF base repeaters installed providing greater continuous operational communications.
This commitment acknowledges the many thousands of Queensland volunteers who selflessly devote their time to assist their local communities, and ensures that those volunteers are adequately resourced and able to respond to any challenge. Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 12:00 AM
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