Port Macquarie volunteers have taken out first place honours in the prestigious inaugural SES Northern Zone Disaster Rescue Challenge held in Broadwater.
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State Emergency Services teams from Port Macquarie, Gosford and Lismore were competing at the event held at Broadwater Sugar Mill on Saturday, April 13.
Port Macquarie and Gosford will now go on to represent the Northern Zone at Exercise Thunderstruck, a state disaster rescue challenge in Albian Park during late May.
Port Macquarie unit commander Michael Ward said teams of six raced to complete four challenging rescues.
"Four challenging rescues which involved the safe recovery of casualties from an elevated platform and walkway, mass casualty urban search and rescue incident and rescue of a person trapped in large machinery," he said.
Port Macquarie was represented by Katie Blake, Elisa Jane Page, Leonie Stevenson, Alfred Portenschlager, medic Sereena Ward, deputy Toby Messina and team leader Michael Ward.
The groups had only 45 minutes to complete each rescue, according to Mr Ward.
"The Port Macquarie community can know that their SES unit is up to the task," he said.
"The team this year consisted of several newer members with four members never having competed in a rescue challenge.
"Their experience ranged from one and a half to 15 years within SES - their maxim of train hard rescue easy shone through on the weekend.
"I am exceptionally proud of the team that competed over the weekend and the result is a testament to the training and professionalism of Port Macquarie SES."
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