Western Australia’s emergency services are coming to Victoria’s aid. Photo: WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
The Western Australian Government has dispatched 38 emergency specialists to help Victoria as it battles bushfires.
The crews heading interstate include 20 members of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) and 18 personnel from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).
The contingent also includes a taskforce leader and 20 firefighters who will be engaged in battling blazes in Victoria’s Barwon South West region, protecting lives and properties from the fires, which began in the wake of the recent heatwave.
“Our thoughts are with all Victorians who have been impacted by these catastrophic bushfires,” Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said.
“The Cook Government stands ready to provide resources, and is proud that WA emergency services heroes put up their hands at such short notice to help protect these communities in their time of need.”
In addition, another contingent of 17 personnel in the Incident Management Team (IMT) will use their experience in aviation, intelligence, incident control, public information, fire behaviour analysis and logistics to support Victorian crews in Gippsland.
“They will play key roles in the emergency response, and I wish them all a safe deployment,” Mr Papalia said.
The crews’ deployment came after a request from Emergency Management Victoria (EMV), coordinated by the National Resource Sharing Centre (NRSC).
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has declared a state of disaster.
The deployment will last for seven days and the personnel will return home on 17 January.
