Phillip Sheils of Gosford unit is one of two State Emergency Service NSW volunteers deployed to Canada on July 19 to join an international effort to contain out of control wildfires that continue to rage across the country.
He and Tony Morris from Bathurst unit were bound for British Columbia, where they will provide skilled logistics and finance support to Canadian firefighters throughout the response.
They are part of a 16-strong contingent, which includes emergency services personnel from NSW SES, NSW Rural Fire Service, Forestry NSW, and National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Sheils is the Deputy Rescue Officer at the SES Gosford unit and said he was deeply honoured to be able to help international emergency services partners in their time of need.
“It’s been fantastic to see the way everyone in the organisation has rallied together to help out communities in need,” he said.
“Canadian authorities need more resources and people on the ground, so if my contribution helps them in some way, I’m happy to do it.
“It’s a great learning opportunity to work alongside highly skilled and capable people from other emergency service agencies.”
NSW SES Acting Commissioner Debbie Platz commended the volunteers for their skills and willingness to support the international effort.
“NSW SES volunteers and staff supported Canadian authorities during the wildfire response last year, so I’m very proud to see them joining the effort to assist again,” Platz said.
“Deployments like this demonstrate the enthusiasm, diverse proficiencies and versatility of our members in supporting emergency operations.
“The now multi-year requests for support, show that NSW SES operational skills are highly regarded in international settings and the diverse capabilities held by our NSW SES volunteers and staff can be applied well beyond floods, storms and tsunamis.”
The deployment is set to last five weeks and will include sourcing, securing and co-ordinating everything from personnel and resources on the ground to accommodation, food and water for frontline personnel.
The wildfires in Canada have been raging since February and have so far burned more than 1.4 million hectares of land.
The 2023 wildfire season in Canada was the worst on record, with fires scorching more than 18 million hectares.