The NSW Volunteer Rescue Association Inc - VRA, is an affiliation of 74 community based rescue squads that are accredited by the NSW Minister for Emergency Services to provide primary response in the specialist fields of road rescue, land rescue, vertical rescue and marine rescue. Other NSW Rescue Service squads are specialists in dive rescue, cave rescue, wilderness rescue and swiftwater rescue.
- Since the early 1960's VRA affiliates have pioneered the development of dedicated general land rescue squads and technical rescue squads
- The NSW Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) was formed in 1969. This was done with the support of Police, Fire, Ambulance and Civil Defence organisations to provide dedicated rescue units in country areas of 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 rescue 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.
- The VRA provides 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 squads 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 Circular setting out details is attached.
New South Wales (NSW) is Australia's most populous state with a population of nearly 6 million.