$1.8m fire truck played critical role in ending armed siege

RESCUING A trapped koala and using its hoses to end a siege are two of the real-world applications for this $1.8m fire truck

Nathan Thomas Yeo's, 29, effort to keep police at bay while he camped on top of a Warwick Tyrepower workshop was probably going to plan until Toowoomba firefighters rolled into town with their brand-new Combined Aerial Pump Appliance.

Its 32m ladder gave police a bird's eye view of the armed offender and provided lighting as the siege dragged into the night.

Still Mr Yeo refused to budge so the fireys gave him a little sprinkle of water.

"We added some water to make him cold and encourage him to come down," Anzac Ave station officer Tony Guse said.

Station Officer David Crighton in the cage of the new CAPA (Combined Aerial Pump Appliance) operating in Toowoomba.

The October 1 siege was the second major event the CAPA unit was called to, with the first being a koala rescue on September 3.

Mr Guse said events like those gave his officers valued, real-world training as they developed the competency needed before the unit could be used at a live fire.

"We should be ready by the end of October," he said.

The Swiss-made unit arrived in Toowoomba in July as part of statewide rollout of $17.5 million in new firefighting equipment.

Its hydraulic boom can extend a full 32m in 90 seconds and pump 4000L of water per minute.

Mr Guse said it was ideal for reaching over large warehouse fires or those involving multistorey structures.

"Our current ladder had gone to silo fires about half a dozen times," he said

"Down to fires at Goondiwindi, the cotton gin at Dalby, and out to St George because we can provide an elevated water tower attack platform.

"We certainly would have used it at something like the Mill St Tavern fire."

Originally published as New $1.8m fire truck played critical role in ending armed siege

Originally published as $1.8m fire truck played critical role in ending armed siege