A helping hand - anywhere, anytime. 

Latest News - Coolah Rescue Squad congratulate their newest accredited rescue operator

Port Macquarie - story on Yacht "Vida"

Binalong Fund Raiser - Masquerade Ball - information

2008 NRMA Uniform Grants now available contact uniforms for further information.

EMA Australian Safer Communities Awards now open (Closes Friday 1 August 2008)

The NSW Volunteer Rescue Association Inc, generally known as the VRA, is an affiliation of 75 community based volunteer rescue organisations providing accredited primary response, maritime and specialist rescue resources across Australia's most populated state.

• Since the early 1960's the VRA Affiliates have pioneered the development of dedicated general land rescue squads and technical rescue squads
• The VRA was formed in 1969 with the support of Police, Fire, Ambulance and Civil Defence organisations to provide dedicated rescue units in country areas on New South Wales.
• The VRA is recognised as an emergency service organisation under the NSW State Emergency and Rescue management Act.
• The VRA provides Primary Response Rescue coverage to more people outside the Newcastle/Sydney/Wollongong metropolitan areas than any other service (full time or volunteer).
• The VRA is the only volunteer service accredited by the State Rescue Board of New South Wales for all forms of search and rescue.
• The VRA is the second largest supplier of accredited primary rescue units in New South Wales.
• VRA Rescue Squads provide general land, motor vehicle, industrial, rural, vertical (high angle), maritime (inshore and offshore), inland water (rivers, dams, etc), caves, underwater (search and recovery), wilderness, aerial observation, alpine Search and Rescue and communications.
• In many areas of the State, VRA Affiliates provide the storm and flood response capability under the operational control of the Local State Emergency Service Controller. The VRA has provided this capability since 1950 when the Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad was formed. The arrangement was formalised in 1990. A copy of the VRA Circular setting out details is attached. This document is in Adobe PDF format.
• A 10 page brochure on the VRA is available in Adobe PDF Format - Due to the large number of high resolution photographs this is a large document (3.5Mb) which will take some time to download.  Click here to obtain a copy.
• Download a copy of the current Community Service Announcement being played on commercial and community radio stations throughout New South Wales.

New South Wales (NSW) is Australia's most populous state with a population of nearly 6 million (by comparison Texas USA has a population of 18 million, the same as Australia's total population). NSW occupies an area of 800,642 sq km (Texas occupies 688,619 sq km). The State's topography varies from 3,137km of glistening coastline to arid desert, from tropical rainforest to snow covered alps. NSW contains Australia's highest mountain, waterfalls and cliff faces.