Fire & Rescue firefighters on the frontline of bushfire crisis
Published: 21st October 2013
Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters continue to play a frontline role in fighting the current fires, working alongside volunteer firefighters from NSW Rural Fire Service and firefighters from around Australia.
Today (21 October) firefighters from Sydney and regional stations, as well as specialist areas from within FRNSW, continue working in the fire affected areas of the Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, South Coast, Hunter and Central Coast, providing frontline resources, expertise and advice on HAZMAT management, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and fire fighting.
50 FRNSW firefighters from Glenbrook, Leura, Lawson, Springwood, Katoomba, Blackheath, Mt. Victoria and Wentworth Falls, Windsor, Richmond, Hurstville and Cabramatta are at work in Blue Mountains.
16 firefighters from Kelso, Lithgow, Lithgow West and Wallerawang are working in the Lithgow area.
55 FRNSW firefighters from Queanbeyan, Cooma, State Training College (Alexandria), Jindabyne, Young, Goulburn, Moss Vale, Bowral, Braidwood, Temora and Turvey Park are at work in the Mittagong area.
An additional 50 firefighters from Newton, Sutherland, Mortdale, Woollahra, Merrylands, Parramatta, Macquarie Fields Concord, Leichhardt, Mt. Druitt and Smithfield are on standby at Regentville fire station and can be deployed where most needed at a moment’s notice.
Almost 60 fire crews (about 200 firefighters) from regional areas will start making their way to Sydney ahead of extreme conditions forecast for Wednesday. All available fire trucks are also being prepared and firefighters recalled in preparation. Offers of assistance have been made by both the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in Melbourne and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.
The potential firefighting force from FRNSW that could be deployed to the Blue Mountains is 160 trucks – more than 640 firefighters.
NOTE: FRNSW Commissioner Greg Mullins will be briefing FRNSW firefighters at Lawson Fire Station tonight at 6pm.