SES teams with Isuzu

For the public living in and around the southern Sunshine Coast in Queensland, the Noosa State Emergency Service are the ‘go-to’ first responders in times of need.

Working alongside local fire and police teams, the Noosa SES is a not-for-profit, volunteer community organisation, tasked with responding to emergency situations affecting Noosa and the surrounding region.

Because of the time-sensitive nature of these situations, having sturdy and reliable transport on hand is fundamental to the quality of their response.

Related reading:
Isuzu NQR 80-190: Review
Three auto 4x4 light trucks for 2019
Isuzu NPS 75/45-155 4x4 Auto: Review

In the case of Noosa SES, Isuzu Trucks has been the supplier of choice to safely and swiftly ferry equipment and personnel into the hardest to reach locations in the region.

SES teams consist of volunteers that are specifically trained and equipped to assist at risk communities quickly and efficiently.

Being volunteer-based, the management of specific skill-sets and ability levels are a constant consideration as Noosa SES President, Pauline Eglington explained.

“We take on people from the age of 16 years and over. All SES members are fully trained in all roles required by our volunteers, from safety ropes and knots, ladders, lighting and radios to climbing and abseiling equipment and traffic control,” she said.

“There are a number of memorable callouts, but one particular traffic accident stands out as we had to manage a tricky diversion through the roads into Pomona and back on to the highway. It went late in to the night and we were placed in a fairly dangerous situation, mainly due to the busy roads, intersections and inadequate lighting.”

So, when the Noosa SES required an update to their response vehicle, the choice for reliability and safety was clear.

“Our previous truck was old, heavy and slow, which made our response times slow,” Pauline said.

“We did some research on other vehicles and took some advice from both interstate SES units and companies that fit-out emergency vehicles. The Isuzu NPR 75-190 was ideal for us with its personnel and equipment-carrying capacity.”

With a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 7500kg, power of 140kW at 2600rpm and torque of 513Nm at 1600 – 2600rpm, the Isuzu NPR is compact, sturdy and built to operate in tough terrain, making it the ideal workhorse in a variety of diverse environments.

Being able to respond quickly to a situation, which could require any number of vital pieces of gear and equipment, means that storage and having access to what you need, when you need it, remains a vital component of providing emergency assistance.

“We’ve been able to fit an on-board generator, compressor, light tower, workbench for onsite repairs, charging bay for radios and communications, extension ladder drop-down and specialist drawers for all the various equipment needed by our volunteers.”

In addition to having adequate storage and equipment-carrying capabilities, the trucks are straightforward to manoeuvre, a feature that figured significantly in Pauline’s decision.

“Manoeuvrability is really important as we’re never sure what type of landscape or weather conditions we’ll find ourselves in. Some call-outs we receive place us in narrow roads and driveways, others in rural bush settings which means being able to manoeuvre the truck in tight, confined spaces is very important,” she said.

With an impressive set of safety features, such the NPR’s Anti-Skid Regulator (ASR), Hill Assist and Isuzu’s Electronic Stability Control System (IESC), the safety of Noosa SES’s employees has also been taken care of.