REDLANDS long-awaited rural fire service is about to come on line.
What has become known as the Brisbane Rural Headquarters Brigade has 70 members, with 40 firefighters already trained up.
Alexandra Hills resident and third officer Adam Davenport, a firefighter with years of experience in southern states, has been helping train local members.
He said the response to the brigade's formation had been outstanding.
"We've got 70 people on board and 40 of those have been trained up," Mr Davenport said.
"A further 21 have just completed a course to better help educate the community about fire.
"That's the real purpose of the brigade, to do things like hazard reduction burns and to educate people about reducing fire risks in the community."
The brigade has been years in the making and the idea has been pushed hard by Mount Cotton-based Redland City Council deputy mayor Julie Talty.
It became a political football within council and state politics, based primarily on the argument that professional firefighters from Capalaba and Cleveland were near at hand to fight any fires, making a rural fire service a redundant proposition.
Then at the 11th hour in the state election, Springwood MP Mick de Brenni - part of whose electorate includes Mount Cotton - announced that a $12.2 million fire station would be built, with full-time firefighters and bushfire fighting capacity, like four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Fire fighter Keith Plenderleith of Redland Bay was last week undergoing training with Mr Davenport at Alexandra Hills, much of which is an undulating, peri-urban area with houses backing onto bushland, an exceedingly dangerous situation with fire.
Mr Plenderleith said the training was first rate.
"I'm really enjoying it. It's been great," he said.
Mr Davenport said the next step for crews was taking part in the real thing, actual hazard reduction burns.
