17/06/11 - FRNSW Flood crisis update
Published: 17th June 2011
Local FRNSW firefighting resources have been kept busy assisting the State Emergency Service (SES) for the past several days throughout the mid north coast flood areas. They have been assisting with sand bagging, evacuations and response to a range of incidents including flooded basements in premises, power lines down and leaking roofs etc.
Three Swift Water Rescue teams, each consisting of specialist firefighters, specifically trained and equipped to perform the rescue of victims trapped in swift flowing water environments continue to be deployed into the affected areas.
Swift Water Rescue team Alpha redeployed yesterday from Port Macquarie to the Taree area of operations.
Yesterday afternoon Swift Water Rescue team Alpha and Bravo undertook a removal of a person from a vehicle in flood waters at Tinonee. The person was rescued without injury.
In the early evening yesterday Swift Water Rescue team Alpha responded to a vehicle with two people on board in the Manning River near Dumaresq Island. FireAir1 was called in to provide lighting whilst firefighters swam out to the trapped victims, attached harnesses and pulled the two people to safety without injury.
FireAir1 also undertook two flood rescue medical evacuation missions during the day.
All Swift Water Rescue crews also undertook local flood pre-incident planning in their respective areas of operation and assisted in general evacuations throughout the day.
It is anticipated that the Swift Water Rescue crews and other firefighting resources will remain on stand by in their areas of operation today pending further assessments by SES.