Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QLD)

Overview

The Queensland Fire Service (QFS) came into being in June 1990, with the disbandment of the numerous city and town Fire Brigade Boards that existed at the time.

It was renamed the Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority (QFRA) in early 1997, as a result of the State Government decision to have a single agency responsible for rescue work in areas such as 'confined spaces', 'road traffic crashes', 'swift water', 'vertical rescue', etc.

It was renamed again, in November 2001, to the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS).

On 01 November 2013, as a result of the Police and Community Safety Review (PACSR), Queensland Fire and Rescue Service merged with Emergency Management Queensland and the Corporate Services Division of the Department of Community Safety to become Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES). QFES encompasses the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, Rural Fire Service Queensland, Queensland State Emergency Service and Emergency Management Queensland.

The State of Queensland covers an area of approximately 1,727,530 sq. kilometres (667,000 sq. miles), and is broken into seven Regions for QFRS administration purposes.

Regions

1. Northern
2. Central
3. South Western
4. North Coast
5. Brisbane
6. South Eastern
7. Far Northern

8. State Appliances eg., Academy, USAR flyaway, etc.

for Queensland Fire and Rescue callsigns, the Region Number is used as the first digit of the appliance radio callsign, Followed by the two-digit station number and an alpha identifier.

Callsigns

Queensland Fire and Rescue:

Format: [Region][Two-digit Station number][Alpha identifier] e.g. 501A - Region 5 (Brisbane), station: 01 (Kemp Place), type: Alpha (1st Rescue Pumper)

Alpha (First) + Bravo (Second): Urban pumper with firefighting + rescue capability
Charlie (First) + Delta (Second): Urban pumper without rescue capability
Echo: 4-wheel drive pumper with all terrain firefighting + rescue capability
India: Hydraulic Platform with aerial rescue capability
Juliette: Combined Aerial Pumper Appliance (CAPA)
Kilo: Emergency Tender with rescue capability
Lima: Rescue vehicle with technical rescue capability
November: Technical rescue support vehicle
Oscar: Hazardous Materials and Breathing Apparatus Unit
Papa: Breathing Apparatus support vehicle
Quebec: Hazardous Materials support vehicle
Sierra: Breathing Apparatus and Hazardous Materials support vehicle
Tango: Command and Control unit with communications capability
Victor: Water tanker
Whiskey: Foam tanker
x-ray: Facilities unit (22/10/2022 - Only x-ray appliance in QFRS is 499X, based at Caloundra station)
Yankee: 4 wheel drive light attack vehicle with all terrain firefighting capability or can be equipped with severe weather capabilities
Zulu: Spare vehicle

Historic:
Foxtrot: HAZMAT Pumper
Golf: Turntable ladder
Hotel: Hydraulic Platform
Mike: Command and Rescue
Uniform: Communications Unit

Specialist units:
Scientific: SCI1, SCI2 - Both Based out of Cannon Hill station.
Swiftwater Rescue boat: Craft[region][id] i.e. Craft505, region: 5 (Brisbane), id: 05.

Rural Fire Service Queensland:

formats:
brigade resource: [brigade] [type][id] i.e. Childers 62, brigade: Childers, type: 6 (Heavy Attack), id: 2.
regional resource: [region]R[type][id] i.e. NCR73, region: NC (North Coast), R=Region, type: 7 (Support vehicle), id: 3.
group resource: [group]G[type][id] i.e. CABLG81, group: CABL (Caboolture), G = Group, type: 8 (Support vehicle), id: 1.

15-24: Firefighting Trailer
25-34: Slip-On unit
35-39: ATV
41-49: Light attack (Car with firefighting capabilities)
51-59: Medium attack (Light rigid truck with firefighting capabilities)
61-69: Heavy attack (Medium/heavy rigid truck with firefighting capabilities)
71-80: Tanker (Purely transports water, only firefighting capability is to defend tanker crews)
81-89: Support vehicle
91-95: Command vehicle
96-99: Communications unit

State Emergency Service:

format: [group] [capability][two digit identifier] i.e. Emerald 301, group: Emerald, type: 3 (ATV), number: 01.

201-249: Boat with a capacity of 6 persons or less (including crew)
251-299: Boat with a capacity of 7 persons or more (including crew)
3: ATV
4: Vehicle (unless otherwise listed)
5: Light Truck
6: Medium or Heavy Truck
7: Unallocated, Reserved for future codes
8: Bus or Troop Carrier
9: Command vehicles or trailers

Radio Codes and Pro Words

Used by Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, Rural Fire Service Queensland and Firecom.

• Code 1 - Arrived - Nothing in evidence, investigating.
• Code 2 - Arrived - Incident in evidence, followed by a brief descriptor of the incident.
• Code 4 - Leaving incident, returning to station unless otherwise specified - available for turnout.
• Code 5 - Returned to home station.
• Code 6 - Leaving incident – malicious false alarm, available for turnout.
• Code 7 - Unavailable for turnout, followed by reason and estimated duration.
• Code 8 - Arrived at incident – checking with Officer-in-Charge (OIC).
• Code 9 - Casualty - A- Ambulance, C - Coroner (e.g Code 9 2A = 2 casualties in/require Ambulance).
• Code 11 - Leaving Incident - Justifiable false alarm, available for turnout.
• Code 12 - Leaving incident – avoidable false alarm, available for turnout.
• Code 20 - High-rise procedure in use.
• Code 30 - Vehicle proceeding to incident on normal road speed, no lights or sirens.
• Code 40 - Vehicle proceeding to incident is no longer required.
• Code 99 - A major or critical incident is occurring - indicates significant resources will be required.
• Code Red-Red-Red - Immediately Cease all radio traffic to allow the transmission of a life-threatening message - Can only be lifted by Firecom.

• Stop message - No further assistance is required at incident, all responding appliances Code 40

• CASE 1 - Vehicle hose reel.
• CASE 2 - Lay flat hose connected directly to hydrant.
• CASE 3 - Lay flat hose connected to truck.
• CASE 4 - Suction from static supply (pool/tank/dam etc) to vehicle

Radio Vote Groups

Ch.	Location	Group Channels
79	Maroochydore, Nambour, Noosa   (Region 4)	221
80	Gympie, Cooloola, Cooroy, etc.   (Region 4)	222, 221, 219, 220, 216
82	South Burnett   (Region 4)	218, 214, 215
83	Warwick area   (Region 3)	221, 217, 215, 219
84	Rockhampton area   (Region 2)	223, 213, 214
85	Mackay area   (Region 2)	216, 223, 219, 215
86	Townsville   (Region 1)	216, 214, 221
87	Mt Isa   (Region 1)	211, 213, 214
88	Cairns, Smithfield, Gordonvale   (Region 7)	228, 227, 215
89	Maryborough-Hervey Bay, Bundaberg   (Region 4)	212, 214, 216, 224, 229