Friday was a big day for the West Parkes Rural Fire Brigade, who not only hosted the official opening of its fire station but so too the receipt of two new fire tankers.
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NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons and the Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott were present for the special occasion.
Mr Fitzsimmons, who made the trip out west to Forbes for the arrival of three new tankers before heading to Parkes, handed over the keys to two new state-of-the-art fire tankers fitted with the latest firefighting and safety features, including crew protection sprays.
The tankers are worth more than $400,000 combined and will provide more efficiency and quality of service to the community.
Mr Fitzsimmon also celebrated with firefighters on their first dedicated fire station, which will provide better security and is a place where they can conduct meetings and training sessions.
In the presence of the brigade, Mid Lachlan Valley RFS staff, Parkes High School fire cadets, mayor Ken Keith and Nationals candidate for the seat of Orange Scott Barrett, Mr Elliott cut the ribbon to officially open the station.
West Parkes captain Glen Woods said his firefighters really appreciated the new trucks and station.
“It’s the combination of the trucks and the station with full amenities that makes all the members’ lives much easier,” he said. “From where we were 15 years ago, it’s a massive difference.”
