by Mat Churchill

Port Douglas residents can sleep a little easier tonight with the knowledge that the town's Fire and Rescue Service has just taken ownership a brand spanking new fire truck.

Purchased to replace a outdated fleet vehicle and funded by the State Government, Station Officer Shane Bickhoff said the new truck has a number of improvements on its predecessor that makes it more effective in broader range of firefighting situations.

"Some of the features include new car technology cutting equipment to deal with extrications at road and industrial incidents, enhanced lighting capabilities, and a 2,000 litre water tank.

"It also carries a thermal imaging camera to assist firefighters with entry to smoke filled buildings, and locating the seat of the fire and to locate and rescue persons," he said.

The vehicle is equipped with a gas detector that is used to determine the levels of oxygen, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulphide at incidents involving chemicals.

Mr Bickhoff said firefighters can feel safer when attending call outs in the new truck.

"There is a lot of automatic functions which make the vehicle safer. There's a whole heap of technology changes that drivers will be trained for."

He added that the truck conforms to the highest levels of environmental standards.

Training for firefighters began last night and local crew member Jayson Davis couldn't wait to get started. "It's going to be awesome with all the new safety features," he said.