Forestry Corporation has added 96 new recruits to its firefighting roster this year after a series of training camps, as NSW prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the Black Summer Bushfires.

As one of the state’s four firefighting authorities, Forestry Corporation manages more than 2-million hectares of State forests and will have more than 500 firefighters rostered on for fire response this summer.

Since the 2019-2020 fires, the agency has increased its firefighting ranks and upgraded its fleet, with staff bolstering their experience on NSW fire fronts while lending support and experience on interstate and international firefighting deployments.

The Corporation each year stages fire camps across regional NSW where staff train and upskill on new and existing fireground equipment and appliances.

Fire camps have been staged at Mount Seaview, west of Wauchope and Wallerawang near Bathurst and most recently at the Bondi Forest Lodge near Bombala.

Fire Training and Operations Officer Adrien Thompson said the recent Bombala camp saw 46 candidates across the ranks of Crew Leader, Advanced Firefighter and Firefighter gain and further their national firefighting accreditation.

“The camp was a huge success culminating with a live fire day out in the forest complete with a dozer undertaking containment works and a Fire Forwarder onsite mopping up after backburns and response activities,” Mr Thompson said.

“We also had one of Forestry Corporation’s contracted helicopters on site during the week for our Work Safely around Aircraft training.”

Senior Manager Fire and Natural Hazards Rebel Talbert said Forestry Corporation’s trained firefighters will work closely with the three other NSW fire agencies Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and National Park and Wildlife this summer.

“Our statewide fleet includes fire tankers, light vehicles fitted with fire-fighting gear, heavy plant machinery, contracted aircraft and over a 100 drones and trained pilots.  

“Heavy plant machinery like bulldozers, used in forest operations in state forests, are also made available by the broader forest industry to fight fires in NSW.”

Currently a major multi-year program is underway to upgrade Forestry Corporation's firefighting fleet and improve safety for our firefighters.  

In response to a recommendation of the Independent Bushfire Inquiry, burn-over Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) protection systems are being retrofitted to all existing light firefighting fleet and installed standard on new vehicles.  

In addition, new fire tankers are being purchased to replace ageing vehicles.

“As a statutory firefighting authority supporting community firefighting efforts across the landscape, it is vital that we maintain safe and efficient fleet and equipment and investments in our fleet will further enhance efforts made in recent years to improve the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of our fleet,” Ms Talbert said.  

Forestry Corporation took receipt of the first batch of new dual cab Category 1 fire tankers last year. 

The new Cat 1 tankers are based at Grafton, Bathurst and Tumut and have been deployed to firegrounds multiple times over the past and current fire seasons.  

The latest generation fire tankers carry 3500 litres of water and have front mounted water cannon and thermal cameras that can be controlled within the cabin.  

Built by the NSW Rural Fire Service the tankers feature all the latest safety and firefighting equipment and have been well received by Forestry Corporation firefighters.

To find out more about Forestry Corporation firefighting visit www.forestrycorporation.com.au