As the Hemmant warehouse fire continues to burn, local charity, Rapid Relief Team (RRT) has been feeding exhausted Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) free meals as they battle the blaze.
As the massive warehouse fire spills dark plumes of smoke over the city, QFES crews remain boots on the ground, fighting flames for what could be days to come.
In it for the long-haul, Rapid Relief Team volunteers set up their tents, providing free hot meals and beverages to weary firefighters as they continue to put out the blaze.
Serving 40-50 meals per shift over the past 24 hours, hot dogs have been the most requested meal, with volunteers also serving up snacks, hot barista-made coffees, soft drinks, and water to fire crews.
RRT volunteers expect to serve over 300 free hot meals over the coming days.
Daryl Muller, RRT Regional Team Leader, said at the heart of what RRT does, their volunteers are driven by care and compassion.
“We know these firies are putting everything they have into protecting the people of this city – the least we could do was ensure they didn’t have to do that on an empty stomach,” Mr Muller said.
“As part of the local community, we are always happy to find a need and step in where we can – because at the end of the day, mates stand with mates.
“While our contribution is small, we hope it goes a small way to providing some practical support to our mates in the QFES.
“As Christians, it’s part of our values of care and compassion to serve in the community and help those who need it.
Bruce Budge, QFES Incident Controller, said, “the support we’re getting from the Rapid Relief Team has been incredible.”
“I’ve been a firefighter for 33 years, and I’ve never seen this kind of support on site before.
“And so, we really appreciate what has been done here for us to support the firefighters because it will be a long, hard, piece of work over the next day or so,” he said.
RRT is made up of volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church who provide catering and emergency support services at a range of charitable events and emergencies.
For more information about the Rapid Relief Team, go to www.rrtglobal.org
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