Libs promise protection for firefighters

The WA Liberal party has promised to invest $12.34 million to protect firefighters caught in bushfires.

The investment is aimed at preventing tragedies such as the 2011 death of firefighter Wendy Bearfoot, a mother of three who died in an Albany fire when a change in wind direction turned flames on her truck.

Emergency services minister Troy Buswell said the promised measures, which would be introduced if the party retained power in the March 9 election, included water spray systems to wet the vehicle and surrounding areas.

Fire trucks would also be fitted with in-cab breathing systems and GPS devices that could send distress signals and allow the vehicle to be tracked on a web-based mapping system.