The funds for the upgrade and a number of other features, including an enhanced ground warning system, were purchased with the first $1 million of a $10 million, 10-year sponsorship by Rio Tinto of the EMQ Helicopter Rescue Service, Queensland Minister for Police and Community Safety Jack Dempsey said.

"This upgrade will make all the difference in an emergency, as an extra 400 kilograms of fuel will enable the crew to fly for an extra hour or approximately 260 kilometres further when it's needed," Dempsey said.

The crews, based in Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns, log around 3,500 hours of flying time across Queensland each year responding to search and rescue activities, assisting other agencies and reaching people who in most cases would only survive if retrieved by air support.

"Many Queenslanders would also recall the valuable work the Brisbane-based EMQ helicopter service undertook during the Queensland floods, rescuing multiple flood victims and resupplying communities who were isolated for months on end," Demspey said.

"These activities are often in unpredictable weather in which the helicopters can use up to an hour's holding fuel just waiting for the weather to pass.

"The additional weight capacity now available means the helicopters will be able to operate for longer in these conditions.”

Rio Tinto's sponsorship of $1 million a year over 10 years is in addition to the state government's funding of the fleet's operating costs.

Dempsey said EMQ has also been able to add an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, a safety installation which enhances low level winching and search and rescue capabilities at night in high-terrain areas.