By Kara Dubois
Training and incidents
Galston firies have kept busy responding to numerous incidents in the area, particularly after torrential rain and devastating floods hit the region. Other than flood recovery and clean up assistance, other incidents over the last few months included motor vehicle accidents, trees and wires down, helping to carry an injured bushwalker 2.5km out of bushland near the Gorge, and getting a damaged wall of our station fixed.
Galston members have also completed numerous training events, including a BA (breathing apparatus) recertification and training day and a joint training session with Hornsby Heights Rural Fire Brigade and Arcadia Rural Fire Brigade. The focus was on working with neighbouring brigades and enhancing skills with village incidents. It was a great chance to exercise some valuable fire fighting skills.
Quietest bush fire season in a decade
As we head into the cooler months, we look back on a remarkably different Bush Fire Dander Period than we saw the previous season. This season, NSW RFS members responded to over 5,500 bush and grass fires that burnt 30,963 hectares across NSW, considerably less than the 11,400 fires and 5.5 million hectares lost last season. While we can expect a lower bushfire risk as the weather cools down, everyone in bushfire prone areas should always be fire ready.
You should always think about being fire ready. Visit the RFS website: www.rfs.nsw.gov.au or call the Bush Fire Information Line – 1800 NSW RFS (1800 679 737) for more information.
