State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers in the South-West will today welcome two new Flood Rescue Boats into their fleet.
The vessels will be based at Busselton and Australind SES units, which have attended more than 70 incidents in the past year.
Volunteers had the opportunity to customise the boats to fit their needs during the design process. More than $300,000 from the Emergency Services Levy was invested in the construction and delivery of the vessels.
The 6.4 metre boats come equipped with state-of-the-art communication and rescue gear, including satellite phones and high frequency radios.
They will be able to be towed and deployed at a variety of incidents, whether it be attending flooded areas or rescuing people in open water.
Volunteers can transport two crew and up to four passengers on the new vessels.
As stated by Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson:
"These two new boats equip the SES units in Busselton and Australind with the state-of-the-art resources they need to continue the important work they do keeping their communities safe.
"Having vessels designed and custom built to volunteer needs ensures they have the capacity to take on any incident they are called to.
"The boats are fantastic additions to Busselton and Australind SES units, which boast a combined 83 volunteers."
