PHOTO: QUEEN – Ipswich SES volunteers lend a hand during the February floods.
DEPUTY Mayor Jacob Madsen is asking residents to consider volunteering for the State Emergency Service (SES) or local Rural Fire Service (RFS).
“The training these volunteers undertake includes a variety of useful and important skills that help the community and are useful in everyday life,” Cr Madsen said.
It comes as council re-affirmed its continual support for both organisations with $130,000 in the new budget for operational expenses for the four groups within the Ipswich City SES Unit.
Council spends up to $200,000-$300,000, on buying and maintaining assets such as vehicles, fuel, building repairs and equipment as part of the normal operational budget.
“We saw in the most recent flood events that the SES and RFS volunteers were out in the community
doing vital tasks such as sandbagging, re-supply, flood boat, door-knocking and clean-outs,” Cr Madsen
said.
Ipswich rates notices include two levies that directly support local rural fire brigades: the Rural Fire Levy Separate Charge ($3 per year on all rateable land) and the Rural Fire Levy Special Charge ($39 per year on all rateable land that benefits from Rural Fire Brigade services, which is about 1940 properties).
Cr Madsen said funds raised in these levies, expected to be $347,000 in 2022-23, went directly to
local rural fire brigades.
For information on volunteering with the State Emergency Service or Rural Fire Service see qfes.qld.gov.au
