Bushfire Emergency Citations have been presented to over 200 staff members of the National Parks and Wildlife Service’ (NPWS) Southern Ranges for their efforts fighting last summer’s disastrous bushfires.
Director of the Southern Ranges Branch of NPWS, Mick Pettitt presented the staff with a Premier’s Certificate of Recognition, a commemorative pin and cap for undertaking over 8,000 days of fire operations.
“NPWS fire fighters were heavily involved in fighting fires across the State starting when local firefighters from the Snowy region were sent in late August 2019 to help fight fires in the north of the State,” Mr Pettitt said.
“After sterling service, they returned home to fight fires in their own backyard across the Southern Ranges area over the Christmas-New Year period,” he said.
“I’m extremely proud of our NPWS firefighters who showed the value of training, experience and dedication when confronted by the toughest fire season in memory.”
Mr Pettitt said local NPWS crews helped fight almost every major fire operation across the State and worked closely with NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Forestry Corporation, fire crews from interstate and overseas as well as the local community to protect life and property.
He said some of the local NPWS fire specialists had completed seven to eight-week deployments to northern NSW and the Blue Mountains before their local fire season commenced.
“I’m proud to say almost every one of NPWS local staff played a role in supporting firefighting operations during that long and devastating summer,” he said.
“More than ever before, they worked off park protecting local villages and surrounding areas,” Mr Pettitt said.
