More police and firefighters to keep Canberrans safe

The ACT Government is proud of our emergency services who operate with some of the best response times in the country.

Through the 2018 Budget, we will recruit more police and firefighters to help protect our growing community, as well as delivering better equipment for our first responders.

Boosting police and emergency services

The ACT Government is investing more in emergency services personnel, including:

• $2.6 million to recruit four, new specialist positions to expand ACT Policing’s strategic analysis capability, helping to identify and target emerging crime trends
• $1.6 million to recruit two specialist officers to combat organised crime, strip criminal wealth and deliver an improved surveillance capability to monitor the activities of criminal gangs
• $332,000 to conduct an additional recruit college to train 18 new firefighters for ACT Fire and Rescue.

This is in addition to our recruitment of a full new paramedic crew and delivery of two additional ambulances during 2018.

Better equipment and facilities for our first responders

This Budget is upgrading facilities and investing in new equipment for our first responders. This includes:

• $5.6 million to provide new smartphone equipment to all police officers to improve the secure capture, transmission and sharing of data and radio communications. These devices will allow police officers to be more mobile so they can spend more time in the community
• $4.6 million to upgrade the ACT Ambulance fleet with electric stretchers and loaders, and fit all ACT ambulances and firetrucks with new cardiac monitors and defibrillators
• $2 million for a new aerial apparatus for ACT Fire and Rescue to support the existing Bronto appliance and respond to multi-storey building incidents
• $2 million to upgrade facilities at the Tuggeranong Police Station and Winchester Police Centre
• $1.5 million over four years to upgrade the Public Safety CCTV Network across the CBD, at the Kingston and Manuka shopping precincts, bus stations and major public facilities including Manuka Oval, EPIC and GIO Stadium
• $270,000 to provide new protective helmets to ACT Fire and Rescue to help keep first responders safe.

Media contact: Brenton Sloane     0431 252 698   brenton.sloane@act.gov.au