Emergency Services minister Troy Grant thanked volunteer firefighters from the Rural Fire Service in Wauchope, Long Flat and beyond for their sacrifices and bravery.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He was visiting the Wauchope Fire Control Centre to hand over a new fire truck for Long Flat, and commission state-of-the-art communications technology.
“The Long Flat brigade takes pride in protecting their community, which is located in a remote area,” said the minister.
“I am proud that we are able to provide our volunteers with the resources they need to deal with local grass and structure fires.”
He was joined by Port Macquarie member, Leslie Williams to present the brigade with a new $187,600 Category 7 tanker which replaces an older vehicle.
Mr Grant also commissioned a communications tower which boosts the radio coverage relied on by fire crews and other emergency services.
“As a result of this investment in new technology, the emergency services that protect the Mid North Coast community now have robust digital radio coverage across an expanded area, which is vital for crews attending potentially life and death situations and during major incidents,” Mr Grant said.
Leslie Williams said the NSW government is proud to support local volunteers and ensure that they have the equipment and resources they need to protect the community from bush fires.
“The communications tower effectively doubles our aviation radio coverage area, which means operators do not have to consistently change channels as they conduct waterbombing operations across the Mid Coast district,” said Mrs Williams.
The minister, Troy Grant, also inspected areas impacted by the devastating Pappinbarra bushfire on February 12 2017, which destroyed six homes and damaged three houses.
“This fire was one of many across the state that started on the first day to be classified as a Catastrophic fire danger day,” said Mr Grant.
He again thanked NSW RFS, Fire and Rescue NSW and Forestry Corporation of NSW crews who met those challenging conditions head on.