The first of 80 new fire trucks for Queensland is expected to come off a Brisbane assembly line next September.
Volvo and Fraser Engineering Group will build and repair the trucks for the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) in an $80m five-year program.
The new Type 2 four-wheel trucks will have pump capacity for burning buildings and road crash rescue capability.
A QFD spokesperson says their current vehicle fleet numbers more than 500, including more than 230 Type 2 trucks.
“The first truck is scheduled for delivery in September 2026 with 16 trucks to be delivered annually from that point onwards,” the spokesperson says.
“This would see the entire fleet of 80 delivered by 2031.”
FIRE TRUCKS BENEFIT EXPLAINED
QFD Commissioner Steve Smith says having consistency of manufacturer in their Type 2 fleet will have flow-on benefits for firies.
“This is the largest single fleet procurement arrangement embarked on by QFD,” he says.
“Type 2 appliances make up about half of the Queensland Fire and Rescue fleet, and they are widely used in metropolitan and regional areas.”
He says their current Type 2 vehicles are sourced from different manufacturers and ageing.
“Having a single manufacturer is a boost with after-sales warranty and servicing in Queensland but it also brings consistency for those operating the trucks, making driver training easier,” Smith explains.
“For our own maintenance teams, it also means carrying fewer spare parts on the shelf, and a comprehensive dealer network to support fleet capability.”
The state government says the new trucks will help replace an ageing fleet of vehicles that are no longer fit-for-purpose; it estimates the average age of the current fleet is as old as 11 years.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says a modern fleet is needed to help keep the state disaster-ready.
“These state-of-the-art trucks will help extinguish building fires, rescue Queenslanders from road crashes and fight bushfires,” he says.
Fire and Disaster Recovery Minister Ann Leahy says the “new trucks will bolster QFD’s fleet and strengthen their response capabilities”.
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