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The New South Wales Volunteer Rescue Association (NSW VRA) was formed in 1969. We currently have approximately 3,700 members. Our organisation is New South Wales based & consists of:

• 48 General Land rescue Squads
• 2 NSW VRA Marine Squads
• 1 Inland water Squad
• 13 Specialist Squads.

In the last reporting year (2011-2012) the NSW VRA attended:

•  9,884 incidents which involved 134,661 operational hours.
• Assisted 41,586 persons
• Rescued 2,848 persons
• Removed 81 deceased persons

Over & above this our members spent 144,608 hours in training, meetings, regional exercises, fundraising & equipment maintenance.

The NSW VRA will respond to any of the attached incidents:  Motor Vehicle;  Domestic; Industrial;  Inland water; Cave rescue; Cliff/vertical rescue; Emergency Lighting; Traffic Control; Body Recoveries; Animal rescues; Driver Reviver; Alpine/Snow; Photographic & other incidents that occur from time to time. We also assist the other NSW Emergency Services like Fire & Rescue NSW; Rural Fire Service; State Emergency Service; NSW Police; NSW Ambulance.

The NSW VRA can be called out by any person in NSW but our primary call out source is the NSW Police. In September 2012 we commenced our own call centre, on a contract basis at Gonnellabah near Lismore in NSW. This call centre is the major communication link between the Police & our VRA squads.

Last year we established our own Registered Training Organisation. We are now well equipped to train & issue nationally recognised qualifications to our members that can be used outside the organisation & in the market place today.

It would not be possible to have such a professional Volunteer organisation that is held in very high regard & respect, without the help & financial assistance from the NSW Government. This has been ongoing since 1969 when the association was formed.

We also need to pay great respect & appreciation to the NRMA who are a major sponsor of the NSW VRA. The sponsorship assists the NSW VRA by supplying a uniform allowance to our member squads plus specialised equipment grants for expensive equipment that the squads normally cannot afford. The joint relationship is held in high regard amongst our members.

As with other Emergency Services in NSW we rely on the help & support of much business -  too many to be named, but their support is indicative to the community they live in and in most cases without this support, our squads may not exist.

 The other common denominator to our very successful Rescue Squads is the Volunteers. The NSW VRA is on its own when we say our organisation is run with volunteers.  We like our other emergency services rely on these Volunteers to run & work in our squads and we can never have enough. If you feel as though you may like to become a member or operator in one of our squads, please contact our General Enquiries Line on 1300 872 777 in the first instance, with your details and your information will be passed onto the  NSW VRA squad closest to your residence.

Mark Gibson

Commissioner NSW VRA

President
NSW Volunteer Rescue Association Inc.