THE region’s volunteer firefighters have received a $5.5 million investment with the official opening of two new sites and the delivery of a state-of-the-art fire truck.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Saturday, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Chifley/Lithgow Zone’s volunteer firefighters and staff attended the official opening of a $4.5 million Fire Control Centre (FCC) on Hampden Park Road at Kelso.
Also, a new $777,000 station for the O’Connell Rural Fire Brigade was opened and its members provided a new $300,000 fire truck.
Chifley/Lithgow RFS’ Brett Taylor said the operational support that the FCC would provide was invaluable.
Previously, staff had no designated area in the region to co-ordinate emergency responses and would “run emergencies from our desk”, he said.
“For the RFS it gives our volunteers and staff the most up-to-date technology in rooms that are built for the task,” Mr Taylor said.
He said operational support was just as vital in fighting fires and other emergencies as the men and women on the ground at the incident.
It gives our volunteers and staff the most up-to-date technology.
- NSW RFS operational officer Brett Taylor
“It gives the guys on the ground the best information and the big picture of incidents,” he said.
Mr Taylor said the new FCC was so state-of-the-art that it had been declared the region’s Emergency Operational Centre for use during multi-agency emergencies.
NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the new station at O’Connell featured three vehicle bays, a 50,000 litre water tank, office, kitchen and storage area.
“The NSW RFS, working co-operatively with the state and local governments, is committed to providing volunteer firefighters with the equipment, infrastructure and resources they need to carry out the important work of protecting their local communities from fire and a diverse array of incidents,” he said.
Also on the day, O’Connell firefighter Geoffrey Burton was issued with his 10-year long service medal in honour of his dedication to protecting his local community.
Bathurst MP Paul Toole attended the official openings and said the FCC and new station provided enhanced support to the volunteers and the communities they protect.
“We continually see how hard our skilled firefighters work to keep us safe when bush fires threaten,” he said.