Qld: Qld firies left behind
By Gillian Ballard
BRISBANE, Aug 8 AAP - Queensland firefighters have been withheld from an Australiaand New Zealand team headed to the United States to battle forest fires because of a loomingbushfire threat at home.
A formal request from the US last weekend called for specialised fireline supervisors,fire aviation officers and aircraft-based infrared fire mappers to help fight the worstforest fires in 50 years in western America.
But there were no Queenslanders in the group of 48 because of near-record low rainfallacross the state and further dry conditions forecast.
Queensland Fire and Rescue Service Commissioner Lee Johnson said today the absenceof key personnel would pose a risk to Queensland's fire season response because only ahandful of people had the qualities the US was looking for.
"While we would like to participate and have several highly qualified officers whocould provide benefit, it is not critical at this stage of the success of the operationin the USA," Mr Johnson said.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said only a certain number of people in the QFRS had therequirements and skill base that the US wanted.
"It's not so much the people on the ground to do the firefighting, it's the peopleto actually do the team-leading and (who) have the range of high level of accreditationthat's required," the spokesman said.
"Those same people if they left from Queensland would be the ones who would head uptask forces in Queensland if and when we have a fire situation in Queensland."
The addition of the Balonne and Wigamba Shires brings the total number of drought declaredshires in Queensland to 38 or 16 per cent of the state, further indicating the fire dangerwhich may lie ahead.
AAP gb/jfs/sc/cjh
KEYWORD: FIREFIGHTERS QLD NIGHTLEAD
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