The Rural Fire Service (RFS) plays a huge role in keeping the Central Coast safe, not just in instances of bushfire, but across a vast range of emergency situations.
Most recently the RFS was involved in providing relief and assisting evacuations during major flooding which swept the region for two weeks following record rainfall.
With reliable methods of communication being crucial in any emergency situation, the RFS’s Central Coast Communications Brigade has welcomed a $2,000 grant from Greater Bank which will help upgrade vital equipment.
Brigade Captain, Josh Sullivan, said the service covers a significant area with a large population.
“We assist with management of approximately 2,400 square kilometres and a population of over 530,000 between the Hawkesbury River and the Hunter, working with a total of 47 operational rural Fire Brigades,” he said.
“We receive and dispatch emergency calls to Volunteer Rural Fire Brigades and the Volunteer Rescue Association throughout the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie local goverment areas.”
Sullivan said the Central Coast Rural Fire District alone can receive more than 2,500 triple zero calls every year, and deals not only with bushfires, but also calls for help from emergency services, including the police, ambulance and SES.
“We’re very appreciative of the funding from the Greater Bank, which we’ll use to purchase new IT equipment for our OCV (Operational Command Vehicle),” he said.
“This vehicle is deployed in the field to assist with operational requirements during bushfires and other emergencies that require IT/communication support.”
Sullivan said the vehicle was deployed to Wyong just last week to assist the SES with the evacuation order of homes around Tuggerah Lakes.
Greater Bank’s Central Coast Regional Sales Manager, Josh Swetnam, said it was essential for RFS volunteers to have the gear they need to fulfil their roles.
“(The) Central Coast Communications Brigade plays a central role in emergency response across the region and (this) funding will enable them to upgrade some of their vital equipment,” he said.
The funding came from the February round of Greater Bank’s #GreaterCentralCoast Community Funding Program.
Terry Collins