Volunteers from Woodhill Rural Fire Brigade were rated among the best-performing brigades at a recent group exercise on the Gold Coast.
The annual Gold Coast Rural Fire Brigade Group Exercise brings together teams from across the South East Queensland Fire and Emergency Services region.
Second Officer at Woodhill Rural Fire Brigade Paul Burt said the event was important as hot, dry weather approaches.
"It's for brushing up the skill set for the upcoming fire season," he said.
"It was basically a round-robin group scenario exercise, so they ran through a range of scenario stages."
Crews faced scenarios including burnover drills, pumping water, fire attack, communications, land search and first aid and were assessed on their teamwork, communication and how they worked with other brigades.
After a strong performance the Woodhill team finished equal first with Tamborine Mountain Rural Fire Brigade, although the second officer said winning wasn't everything.
"We loved coming equal first with Tamborine Mountain. There's a little bit of a friendly rivalry there," Mr Burt said.
"It's always good to have the skills recognised, but it's more about working with other brigades and enhancing our skill set.
"It was great to work with other brigades in the area."
Bushfire season in Queensland typically runs from July to October, although this is dependent on the prevailing weather conditions.
Mr Burt recommended residents in the wider Jimboomba and Beaudesert areas familiarise themselves with fire risks and what to do in case of a fire.
"People can visit the Rural Fire Service website and have a look at the activities they can do to be prepared," he said.
"There's a range of activities based on their environment.
"The other thing is if people are interested in joining the Rural Fire Brigade they can ring the duty phone and talk to someone about training nights and what's involved."