Emergency response to fires and floods in the Hawkesbury are to be enhanced with a new Fire Control and Emergency Operations Centre.
Welcoming the beginning of construction, the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Recovery, Steph Cooke said the purpose-built, co-located Fire Control and Emergency Operations Centre would provide local Rural Fire Service (RFS) staff and volunteers with the very best facilities for day-to-day operations.
“Communities in the Hawkesbury have been devastated by back-to-back fires and floods over recent years, which is why it has been earmarked for this state-of-the-art operations hub to help our emergency services better respond to hazards rapidly and effectively,” Ms Cooke said.
She said eight new Fire Control Centres in high fire risk areas across the State were being established in Armidale, the Clarence Valley, Cooma, Hawkesbury, Moruya, Mudgee, Narrabri and Tumut.
Commissioner of the RFS, Rob Rogers said construction of the Hawkesbury Operations Centre was expected to take two years and once completed, the new facility would give RFS volunteers what they needed to carry out their roles safely and effectively.
“RFS members are dedicated to helping their communities 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Commissioner Rogers said.
“Once completed this centre will ensure members of the 23 Brigades in the Hawkesbury District have access to the latest technology and equipment to support emergency events, increase the level of safety and keep the community informed.”
