Around the clock firefighters for new Holmesville Fire Station
Published: 9th July 2010
Member for Cessnock Kerry Hickey represented Minister for Emergency Services, Steve Whan today to announce the arrival of a further 12 full time firefighters at the recently opened Holmesville Fire Station.The additional firefighters will provide faster round-the-clock protection for local communities, and will work alongside the retained (on-call) firefighters currently attached to the station.
"The full time firefighters will complement the firefighting expertise and local knowledge of the station's retained (on-call) firefighters', Mr Hickey said.
"The enhanced staffing at the new Holmesville Fire Station, and the recent delivery of an additional $560,000 fire engine reflect the NSW Government’s commitment to ensuring communities across the state have the best possible protection from fire and other emergencies.
Minister for Emergency Services, Steve Whan, said that retained firefighters will continue to play a vital role in fire and rescue operations in and around Holmseville. Their dedication and support is crucial to ensuring the safety of thousands of residents in these communities.”
"Holmesville and the surrounding suburbs are rapidly growing communities with a total population of well over 9,000.
"It is vital that the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) has the resources it needs to protect this growing community."
NSWFB Commissioner Greg Mullins welcomed the arrival of full time firefighters at Holmesville Station and said it represented a major boost for the NSWFB and the community alike.
"Since being officially opened on the 12 May, Holmesville Station has already responded to 35 emergency calls," Mr Mullins said.
"The arrival of full-time firefighters at Holmesville will ensure that the NSWFB can maintain the high level of service and rapid response times the community expects.
"It also means that firefighters will have greater capacity to participate in fire prevention and community safety work, which is vital to ensuring that communities can prevent and prepare for emergencies."