The Queensland Fire Department has mobilised extra resources to Scenic Rim areas likely to be impacted by Cyclone Alfred.
QFD Acting Superintendent Joseph Pope said more crews including 14 swift water crews would be deployed across south-east Queensland with two coming to Beaudesert.
Inspector Pope said the swift water crews coming from areas including Maryborough, Townsville and the northside of Brisbane and the two sent to Beaudesert would be housed at Browns Plains due to lack of accommodation in town.
‘We’ll have two swift water rescue crews based at Beaudesert and we’ll be monitoring the Jimboomba Road and Maclean Bridge,” he said.
Residents of Kooralbyn, where auxiliary firefighters are the only emergency service available when the town becomes flooded, were concerned that the local fire captain Dylan Chidgey was on leave when the cyclone warning went out but were assured that the station would be fully crewed.
Captain Chidgey confirmed that he would be back on duty for the duration.
With work still unfinished on Hinchcliffe Bridge, half of Kooralbyn expected to be cut off if the bridge goes under.
This was a common occurrence and while in previous flooding events a second fire truck was provided on the isolated side of town in case of emergencies, this would not be possible by 6 March, Inspector Pope said.
“We don’t have a spare appliance at the moment because we’ve got vehicles being serviced,” he said.
“But I will contact workshops in the morning … there is a vehicle changeover occurring and I may be able to secure that appliance.”
Inspector Pope said the Kooralbyn station now had an outomatic generator, everything was powered and there would be crews available from local areas.
“We have advised all local area commanders to talk to their captains and we will have crews on when it’s safe to do so after impact,” he said.
Inspector Pope said he had been advised impact was due at 7am on 7 March after which time fire crews would be visible across the region and recording impact reports to assist the Local Government Disaster Management teams.
“We are being very proactive and they are going to be out there,” he said.
