Article supplied with complements Mudgee Weekly News Paper and photo’s complements from Mid-western Regional Council.
28 January 2010
Volunteers in the Nymboida Wilderness Rescue Team may be called to do anything from abseiling to rafting.
Whether it’s white water rafting, abseiling or four-wheel-driving, the Nymboida Wilderness Rescue Team can do it all.
The rescue team was first established in 1998 following concerns from locals that there was no organisation based in the region that could carry out swift water or vertical rescues.
Twelve years later the rescue team continues to operate out of the Clarence Valley, responding to emergency calls from the border to Port Macquarie and out west.
Members specialise in rescues that involve swift water (white water), cliffs, canyons, wilderness search and rescue and four-wheel-drive recovery.
Secretary and training officer Jim Scott said they’re made up of a small but vital team of 14 male and female volunteers from around the Clarence Valley region, including Nymboida, Kangaroo Creek, Coutts Crossing and Lanitza.
Jim said they also had a few members who travelled down from Lismore to train with the team whenever they could.
But like any volunteer organisation, Jim said it could always do with more members.
He said all ages were welcome, with volunteers requiring a reasonable level of fitness.
The team trains twice a month. Theory-based training is held on the last Monday of the month at the Coutts Crossing State Emergency Services building.
Whatever the topic is, a corresponding practical training session follows it up on the first Sunday of the next month.
Jim said the practical training sessions were always serious, but fun, and involved anything from white water rafting, going down a river safely without a life raft, abseiling, navigation, rope work, four-wheel-driving and communication.
To find out more about becoming a volunteer, call 6649 5212 or email nwrt@floodedcreek.com.au. The rescue team is affiliated with NSW Volunteer Rescue Association.
26 January 2010
President of Norfolk Island Rescue Squad awarded the 2010 Citizen of the Year on Norfolk Island.
"Melissa Graham was nominated for the Citizen of the Year award for her outstanding volunteer efforts. Melissa is the President of the Volunteer Rescue Association and has been an active and enthusiastic member of the Association. She has been active in Rotary and St. Johns Ambulance. In recent times, Melissa has given her time to new initiatives such as the Blue Light Foundation, the Road Safety Committee's Driver Awareness Program and other community projects." Melissa was presented this award by the Administrator at a ceremony at Government House on Australia Day.
Jarrod Evans
Secretary
NI Rescue Squad
26 January 2010
Janelle Dollisson Receives Award at Australia Day Ceremony Mid-Western Regional Council
The Emergency Volunteer Services Award presented to Janelle Dollisson on Australia Day at the Mid-Western Regional Council Awards presentation at Gulgong. The award was presented by the Ambassador to Mid-Western Regional Council on Australia Day 2010 Digby Moran.
Article supplied with complements Mudgee Weekly News Paper and photo’s complements from Mid-western Regional Council.
26 January 2010
On Australia Day 2010 Narooma VRA Squad Captain Ben Bate was named Citizen of the year for Narooma and also the local area of the Eurobodalla for his efforts in the many organisations he is involved in around town including his dedication to the Narooma VRA. For the full story see the article courtesy of The Narooma News.
26 January 2010
Long serving VRA member and Murray Regional Coordinator John Boyd was awarded the Emergency Services Medal in the Australia Day Honours list. For the full story see the full article courtesy of the The Border Mail.
26 January 2010
Casino Rescue Squad foundation member, Bill Evans, was named the 2010 Richmond Valley Citizen of the Year.
Bill won the award for his services to the community as a member for the past 30 years of the Casino Volunteer Rescue Squad and for his involvement in other organisations in Casino. The attached photo is Bill, with wife Kay, following the presentation of the Award.
A series of stamps featuring Bill is now on sale at Post Offices.
20 January 2010
NSW VRA Binalong Rescue Squad - Rescue at Bald Hill
On Wednesday 20 January 2010 at approximately 10:50am NSW VRA Binalong Rescue Squad were called to a single vehicle accident on the Hume Highway at “Bald Hill”, South of Bookham. A 4 wheel drive towing a caravan had rolled trapping the driver, rescue squad members worked together using New Technology Cutters to release the driver so that NSW Ambulance Officers could attend to them. The occupants were then conveyed to hospital by the NSW Ambulance Service.
Debra Scanes ESM
Binlalong Public Relations Officer
20 January 2010
Bega VRA: Solarcharged
This is the story behind The Bega District Rescue Squad getting 12 Photovoltaic solar panels installed on the roof of their headquarters at no cost to the squad. Early in 2009 a local company, Pyramid Power, working with the Department of the Environment ,Water, Heritage and the Arts, developed the "Shine On Community Bulk Buy" solar energy initiative. This meant that under the terms of agreement between Pyramid Power and the Australian Government's Solar Homes and Communities Plan (SHCP), for every 30 local homes that applied to install a photovoltaic solar system in the local area a community building could be nominated to receive a free installation of a Solar Grid Connect Kit with a 2.04 kW Solar Array. This is the largest system available under the Government's rebate scheme and was a fantastic offer.
Bega District Rescue Squad was nominated and subsequently approved as a valued community group to receive this wonderful and expensive solar panel system. The balance of the cost of the Solar system after the Government Rebate and the RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) payment was borne by Pyramid Power, without this company over-seeing and organising everything it could not have come together. This magnificent offer from Pyramid Power is part of their commitment to support the local community in accessing solar power for homes. Bega District Rescue Squad is one of about 30 community groups to be given a free solar grid connect system in the area because of this agreement and all paid for by the Government and Pyramid Power.
As far as we are aware the Bega VRA is the ONLY Squad in the State to go Solar and support green, clean power( as least we were at that time and probably still are now)!
We are extremely proud, grateful and still amazed to have been nominated and approved; to have a powerful solar grid connect system operating at our Headquarters and to be now generating enough solar power to supply ALL our electricity needs and more.
In fact, we will be selling enough power to Country energy to be able to receive a payment back every billing period. This constitutes a regular and consistent 'fundraiser'- and we don't have to sell raffle tickets! We don't have to do anything. We are so fortunate to have had a local company willing to make a fantastic effort and create a 'bulk buy situation with the Government's Offer and to coordinate the whole thing. All that is asked of us from the Government is to publicize this donation; and from Pyramid Power to have a Launch Event to celebrate our installation and acknowledge their wonderful donation to us. We plan to have our Launch of the Solar grid Connect System in early March 2010.
Francine Dessaix
Bega District Rescue Squad (VRA)
9 January 2010
Approximately 12.30 pm on the 9th January 2010 the Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad received a call from the police about a near drowning at a local swimming hole on the Murrumbidgee River which required our assistance. On arrival rescuers found Ambulance officers treating a male patient 5 metres down on a steep river bank near the edge of the water. Rescuers had to set up a 2:1 hauling system to pull the patient and 4 out riders up to the top of the river bank. After the haul team had finished hauling the male patient, he was loaded into an Ambulance and taken to Wagga Base Hospital in a stable condition.
About an hour later Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad received another call from the police about a persons trapped accident in Wagga Wagga. On arrival rescuers found a car had crashed between a house and a fence with the driver laying across the passenger seat in a bad way. Rescuers stabilized the vehicle while Ambulance officer treated the patient, rescuers then removed part of the fence to allow better access to the vehicle and then removed the passengers door using the spreaders. After being trapped for 30 minutes the driver was removed from the vehicle and taken to Wagga Wagga base hospital for his injuries.
Tim Lidden
Squad Captain