BATHURST’S Police Rescue Squad is well into their second day of training where they are brushing up on the skills necessary to help those caught in emergency situations.
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There are nine officers who make up the local Police Rescue Squad and each are equipped with a range of techniques for general land rescue and other skills, including bomb appraisal and swift water rescue.
According to Team Leader General Duties and Police Rescue Squad Sergeant Lionel White, members of the Police Rescue Squad have major training days each quarter to “go over all skills to make sure we’re up to date and proficient”.
Senior Constable Nathan Snow-Jones, one of the members participating in the training, said the days were important to “keep up your skill set” and they ensured officers could be of the best assistance possible in emergency situations.
“You’ve got to be familiar with all the gear to use it,” he said.
Police Rescue vehicles arrive at the scene of an emergency equipped with ladders, hand tools, lighting, chainsaws, grinders, airbags, roping equipment, hydraulic gear, gas detectors, x-ray equipment (used in bomb appraisal) and first aid equipment.
The Police Rescue Squad is able to assist in a variety of emergency situations, but road traumas are what the team gets called out to the most.
“A lot of people don’t realise the Great Western Highway kills more people per kilometre than the Pacific Highway,” Sergeant White said.
Despite being a rural city, Bathurst still has a great need for the branch. Sergeant White said the Bathurst Police Rescue Squad is just one of the rescue agencies in town and they work closely with the State Emergency Services and NSW Fire and Rescue.
“We have a local arrangement in place where, for an incident, Police Rescue are called in dual operation with State Emergency Services and we all work well together,” he said.
