Cooktown’s State Emergency Service (SES) has a new state of the art mobile command centre vehicle, thanks to a joint Cook Shire Council, Queensland, and SES grant.
Jointly funded by Council and the 2018-19 State Emergency Service Non-Recurrent Subsidy Program, the dual-cab Toyota Landcruiser has a custom aluminium body and canopy designed by Council’s Workshop and Fleet Manager Scott Johnson.
“The vehicle is designed to be used as a mobile command centre, and will improve the Cooktown SES’s regional response capabilities,” Mr Johnson said. The vehicle has a 4200 gross vehicle mass upgrade and is designed to be operated in conjunction with the SES’s new Storm Response Trailer.
Cooktown SES Controller Dan Hodgson said the vehicle represented a huge boost in the group’s capability to respond to community needs, both locally and in support of other groups throughout the area.
“Cooktown SES group are very excited to see this new vehicle and have begun orientation and training for deployment with a wide range of emergency response scenarios.
“Our response times and capacity to be effective in the field are vastly superior to what they were with the old Hilux.
“As we wrap up storm and cyclone season readiness, the vehicle will regularly be out and about for training, and to provide community awareness and promote the Get Ready message, as well as in support of other emergency response agencies gearing up for fire season.”
