METROPOLITAN FIRE SERVICE SESQUICENTENARY

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:34): On 26 April 2012, I was pleased to attend the 150^th anniversary celebrations of the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS), along with the Hon. Jennifer Rankine MP, the Minister for Emergency Services, and minister Paul Caica, who will serve as a patron for the celebrations. The state marked the beginning of six months of organised events and celebrations. The MFS, which is documented to have formed in November 1862, is now one of the oldest legislated fire services in the world and was originally known as the South Australian Fire Brigade. The Minister for Emergency Services (Hon. Jennifer Rankine MP) has moved a congratulatory motion in the other place and I join her in placing on the record my congratulations. Minister Rankine said:

The Metropolitan Fire Service's sesquicentenary is a very special milestone for all South Australians, and I am delighted that members of parliament join me today to offer our thanks and best wishes. I am thrilled that over the next months there is a broad calendar of events so many people can share in the celebrations and say thank you to the thousands of brave men and women who have served in the MFS over the past 150 years.

With over 1,000 staff and 36 fire stations (20 metropolitan, 16 regional) the MFS provides not only a fire safety service to South Australians; it also has a proud history of community education and engagement programs, including its responsible road awareness program, home fire service, home fire escape plan, domestic smoke alarms awareness, and the list goes on.

MFS Chief Officer Grant Lupton told those gathered at the launch on 26 April that the date was chosen as a mark of respect to acknowledge the deaths of three firefighters 88 years to that day. Those who have lost their lives serving their community are remembered on International Firefighters Day, or St Florian's day, as it is also known (St Florian is the patron saint of firefighters on 4 May), as well as National Firefighters' Remembrance Day on 10 October. As well, this time will be used to refurbish and unveil several of our state's firefighter memorials.

I have mentioned the strong community education and engagement programs undertaken by the MFS, but one in particular that I admired during my time as a minister was the RAAP program, more especially as I was also minister for road safety. The fire services are often jointly called to serious crashes with other agencies, and their skills of assessing and retrieval of crash victims, often with very specialised equipment, are vital. It is in this context, where young people have very good reason to respect firefighters and other emergency service agencies, that the RAAP program was born.

I remember talking about the RAAP program when I was minister. I described it as a hard-hitting and highly successful program delivered to young drivers at high schools to highlight the consequences of unsafe driving behaviour. I also remember saying at the time that the program had won numerous awards and accolades for not just the program but the people involved in its delivery.

During that time I visited a high school with Ryan Scott, a young gentleman who is confined to a wheelchair due to a car crash. Ryan worked with the MFS, and his honesty about his decisions and life after the crash always sat well with the firefighters' no-nonsense approach. The RAAP program is just one of the community education programs delivered by a dedicated group of people aimed at bringing about positive behavioural change to reduce loss of life, injury and property damage.

Our firefighters in 2012 (150 years since firefighting services commenced in South Australia) are trained and educated in skills not even heard of in 1862, responding to chemical, biological and radiological incidents, structural collapse, and urban search and rescue (USAR), to name a few. I conclude my remarks today by saying that I know that I am joined by all in this chamber in congratulating the MFS on its 150^th anniversary. I take this opportunity to thank all the MFS firefighters both past and present for their dedication and selflessness to the people of South Australia.