A community mourns the loss of two firefighters

Summary

The NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) can now name the two firefighters tragically killed in a car accident near Armidale yesterday afternoon.

Scott Bryan Mattinson aged 36, and his wife Jane Ann McRae-Mattinson aged 26 of the local Herbert Park Rural Fire Brigade were killed just after midday yesterday on the New Engalnd Highway at Armidale.

A 16 year old girl related to the Mattinsons, also travelling in the vehicle was injured in the crash and later died in hospital.

NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said that this was a tragic loss for the Service.

Mr Mattinson has been a member of the NSW RFS for 10 years and was a Deputy Captain of Herbert Park Brigade. He had also been a member of Dumaresq Brigade for eight years before transferring to Herbert Park Brigade.

Ms McRae-Mattinson has been an active member of the NSW RFS for seven years and had been a member of Dumaresq Brigade for four years before joining the New England Catering Brigade and then Herbert Park Brigade in May 2010.

Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and the fellow NSW RFS members of the Herbert Park Rural Fire Brigade and the New England Zone. Both Scott and Jane were active members in their local community and they will be sorely missed.

"This is a devastating time and I would like to praise the ongoing professionalism of our firefighters who worked both on duty and off-duty under difficult conditions at the accident scene.

"Their courageous efforts are testimony to the difficult and challenging tasks that our volunteers are confronted with from time to time".

Contact Name: State Duty Media Officer

Contact Phone: 02 9898 1855