Fire and Rescue NSW crews have sharpened their emergency skills during a road crash training drill at Lake Macquarie this week.
Firefighters from Morisset and Toronto joined NSW Ambulance and the Rural Fire Service, responding to a local, mass casualty simulation involving a bus and four-wheel drive earlier in the week.
The scenario required the “extrication” of 10 people from the “wreckage.”
The training operation not only allowed the firefighters to fine-tune their rescue skills but increase their familiarity with other local emergency services and their methodologies.
FRNSW Metropolitan North Area Commander, Terry Farley, said FRNSW is always “Prepared for Anything” but last year’s tragic Hunter Valley bus crash showed motor vehicle emergencies can be extremely challenging for first responders.
“Rescue practice in realistic scenarios means our people can maintain their edge and this exercise has allowed us to identify new learnings and areas for improvement,” Chief Superintendent Farley said.
“The involvement of FRNSW, NSW Ambulance and the RFS reflects a real-life response,” he added, “These exercises promote cohesion and share knowledge that will prove extremely beneficial in the event of an actual incident of this kind.”