Bronto I care because I still have family members who live in SA, I'm still an accredited rescue member (but true not in SA)& we have facilities in SA which may require the service of a rescue service. Oh & I still spend time there.
As far as 3 red trucks
thats a SAMFS operational decision isn't it?
Numbers agree with all of your comments - including those on the Roadrunner.
Seen the Holmatro gear in action - wasn't impressed, having said that I did try and get the Lukas version when at Berri exactly for the reasons you mentioned, could get to the job quicker in our fast response, most jobs did not require the heavy hydraulics & our fast response carried everything required for simple RCR jobs (including FARA stabilisers, cribbing, glass management & hard protection just not separate cutters/ spreaders/ram), however I settled on a second set of cutters instead.
Whilst I agree that brigades who are rescue may have a requirement for a combitool for RIV, as said previously that was not the reason previously mentioned(my reading was to attend jobs when the primary rescue was committed elsewhere) & I stand by what I said "If you primary rescue is already committed, then default should be automatic" unless of course you have two rescues including certified crew.
Bronto you are of course correct Heavy rescue is not a term I would apply to the majority of squads in SA, or infact elsewhere - maybe medium rescue?
Finally refer to Boardies comments in the St Johns thread - when things go bad fall back to the good Samaritans act. I think some (thankfully not all)in the volunteer emergency services (not just SA), tend to think like that (payed staff as well as volunteers) & would rather set the bar low in regards to equipment, people & training instead of biting the bullet and demanding betterfrom our respective governments, people & communities.
In an ideal world there would be a true heavy rescue squad based in each area (groups),and properly equipped/trained medium teams in each council area- but thats in an ideal world
cheers