NSW providing support to Victoria's bush fire crisis
Published Date: 29 Jan 2014
Summary
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Michael Gallacher said NSW is providing resources to assist Victoria with their firefighting efforts as they face significant bush fire threats over the coming weeks.
"The NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons received a request for assistance from Victorian authorities yesterday in light of protracted bush fire activity," Mr Gallacher said
"It is vital that we help our southern neighbour who was on hand to support NSW when it was faced with similar challenges in October last year," Minister Gallacher said.
The NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and Fire & Rescue NSW have deployed the following resources:
- Two Incident Management Teams comprising of sixteen personnel until the end of February (a total of 7 deployments and 112 personnel);
- Four Air Operations Managers (a total of two deployments and 8 personnel);
- Two Task Forces comprising of ten Category 9 vehicles and twenty fire fighters (a total two deployments and 40 personnel)
- Five Specialist Operations Team paramedics from the Ambulance Service NSW will accompany the deployed task forces.
A NSW RFS Liaison Officer was also deployed to the VIC State Control Centre in Melbourne yesterday to co-ordinate the deployments and scope out any additional requirements
"I understand the personnel involved in this deployment are travelling to Victoria by air and road today and will begin operational duty in the Gippsland area tomorrow.
"Despite NSW resources assisting in Victoria, I want to stress that this no way places NSW at any risk with several important resources remaining around the state," Minister Gallacher said.
