Training day helps prepare Forests NSW for fire season

A fire training day to be held at Sunny Corner State Forest, west of Lithgow, on Tuesday 16 October will help prepare Forests NSW staff in the Central West for the coming season.

Forests NSW Protection Coordinator, Dan Kirby, said that more than 50 staff from Forests NSW Macquarie Region, which covers Bathurst, Lithgow, Orange and Oberon, would be involved in the annual training day.

“These fire training days are a yearly event to focus on fire fighter and community safety and asset protection,” he said.

“With good rains and subsequent growth during the past year, this fire season has the potential to be very challenging.”

Mr Kirby said this year Forests NSW staff would be joined by fire fighters from the NSW Rural Fire Service to ensure the two agencies could work together effectively and efficiently.

Forests NSW State fire manager Tim McGuffog, who will be in charge of training on the day, said as one of the four fire authorities in the State Forests NSW was ensuring its fire fighters were well prepared for the coming season.

“We have designed training scenarios to test skills in command and control, communications and team work,” Mr McGuffog said.

“Pumping water, dealing with hazardous substances, fire over-run drills and first aid treatment are some of the subjects being dealt with on the day.”

He said no fires would be lit on the day.

“The sessions are part of continual training Forests NSW employees undertake throughout the year in preparation for the fire season,” Mr McGuffog said.

Photos available from sarahc@sf.nsw.gov.au

Media contact: Sarah Chester on (02) 6036 2110 or 0417 207 669