A new team of Western Australian emergency services specialists has joined the flood response and recovery in NSW.
Minister for Emergency Services, Stephen Dawson said the 22-strong team would relieve the 22 emergency services staff and volunteers sent to the town of Moree to help with the relief effort.
Six other local specialists were sent to Swan Hill in Victoria, bringing WA’s total emergency services personnel deployed to Eastern State communities floods to 50.
The latest team consists of 15 State Emergency Services (SES) volunteers from units across the Goldfields-Midlands region, and the lower South-West; five SES volunteers are from metropolitan units, while two Department of Fire and Emergency Services staff are on hand to perform liaison officer and team leader roles.
The WA contingent will operate alongside the NSW SES, which is co-ordinating the emergency response.
Mr Dawson said that once again, local emergency services volunteers were prepared to answer the call and come to the aid of fellow Australians in their time of need.
“Eastern States communities have been devastated by floods and the NSW SES has issued a request for assistance from across the country,” Mr Dawson said.
“I wish the WA emergency services team safe travels and thank it again for its service and contribution to the community.”
Commissioner for Fire and Emergency Services, Darren Klemm said sharing resources was vitally important in the response and recovery effort following natural disasters.
“The Eastern States’ resources, particularly in personnel, have been stretched because of the scope of the flood devastation, and our WA emergency services specialists will provide significant relief to the NSW SES,” Commissioner Klemm said.
