New four-wheel drive fire trucks have been welcomed by members of Springwood and Katoomba Fire & Rescue.
The trucks will help the brigades access fires in difficult terrain.
Minister for Emergency Services, Troy Grant, handed over the keys to local commanders at Echo Point last week.
“I’m always amazed by the skill and dedication of our firefighters and this new equipment will ensure they can continue their tremendous work in the Blue Mountains community,” he said.
“In every fire station it’s the highly-skilled men and women who have the biggest impact saving lives, but it’s important they have modern, effective resources. This government continues to back our firies, and they should feel confident they have the best firefighting equipment.”
Both stations received a new firefighting tanker worth $350,000 each. The tankers have a water spray protection system that can be operated from the cabin to protect the crew.
Designed for bush and grass firefighting, they can carry 3500 litres of water each, and pump 1900 litres of water a minute. They are equipped with firefighting foam and carry a breathing apparatus for each crew member.
The state-of-the-art fire pumper also has a foam system for fighting chemical, petrol and bush fires, and includes a front-mounted winch to strengthen rescue capabilities.
In 2016-17, Katoomba firefighters responded to 645 fire and emergency calls, and Springwood to 540.
