Radios bolster disaster response

THE Cooktown Rural Fire Brigade has recently received six new radios courtesy of the Cook Shire Council and the Queensland Government’s Get Ready Queensland program. 

The six new waterproof, hand-held UHF radios and an emergency dedicated tablet will be used to improve communications between all agencies, contractors and volunteers during an emergency. 

The radios will also be providing failsafe communications for emergency crews in blackspot areas where there is no mobile service, the tablet will be use to provide offline access to maps to help teams identify blocks of land. 

Cook Shire Mayor and Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group Peter Scott said that these new radios will improve efficiency during a disaster. 

“By enhancing the way our emergency teams communicate with each other during an event, we are improving efficiency and building resiliency,” he said. 

“This ensures we’re better prepared for the next inevitable disasters which can potentially save lives, property and live- stock.”