Metropolitan Fire Service

238 Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (27 September 2016). In reference to 2016-17 Budget Paper 4, Volume 2, page 79—what is the expected total project cost for the replacement of telecommunications equipment across SAMFS and emergency services?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development): The Minister for Emergency Services has been advised:

In 2016-17, the expected project costs for the replacement of telecommunications equipment is $206,000 for Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS), $1,747,000 for Country Fire Service (CFS) and $397,000 for State Emergency Service (SES).

The 'replacement of telecommunication equipment' as detailed in the MFS's annual programs is an ongoing program to ensure defective and/or obsolete radio hardware is replaced in a timely manner. This ensures that firefighting personnel have reliable robust equipment when they need it.

The amount of $206,000 in 2016-17 is the remainder of a VHF radio replacement project of a total cost of $405,000 over the last two financial years. The procurement of this equipment was through an existing CFS procurement contract.

This VHF network will serve as a redundant MFS dispatch system and allow better interoperability between the MFS and the CFS in joint campaign incidents such as large bushfires.