****su-Tonka
Other factors that you may need to factor in:
1. How many emergencies that occur enroute to a small airport actually end up with the emergency aircraft at that airport. Eg. Enroute from Syd to Sunshine Coast you would hardly continue to Sunshine Coast when diverting the Bne would be more appropriate. At Bne you have access to the international fire service level, more trucks etc. So in this case it's a big waste of the 3.5m in rescue and fire fighting cost per year.
2. Since the emergency equipment can also be redeployed into civil use, why should all the cost be forced onto the airport to airline to passenger?
I think the airport/state government should invest in multi-use fire stations that allow the trucks to enter the airport or the main road depending on the nature of the emergency. The operating cost would then be shared. This would have greater community benefit as the aviation assets could be used for other purposes. eg, LPG fire at a petrol station in Adelaide that was put by a airport fire tender.
The biggest hurdle: The State government view an airport a federal land and a joint approach is too hard as it requires inter-government cooperation. Also Air Services need to audit the facility and not run it.