NSW State Emergency Service

Uniform donation for children in our nation! The NSW SES has officially launched our partnership with the charity Uniforms 4 Kids to turn former orange and blue uniforms into items for children and families in need such as clothing, hats, pencil cases, library bags and soft toys! This partnership allows us to further help the communities we serve while also supporting sustainability. To date, more than 55,000 items made by volunteers in the charity have been donated to domestic violence shelters, remote communities, families and children in need throughout Australia and in countries overseas.   Anyone interested in getting involved can visit: www.uniforms4kids.com.au.

Today, Tony Morris from Bathurst and Phillip Sheils from Gosford, are off to Canada alongside members from NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW National Parks and Forestry Corporation NSW to assist with the devastating fires. So far, more than 650 wildfires have already burnt almost 1.5 million hectares of land. Tony and Phillip are lending their top notch skills in logistics and finance to support the Canadian firefighters in their response. The deployment is set to last five weeks and will include sourcing, securing and coordinating everything from personnel, and resources on the ground, to accommodation, food and water for frontline personnel. We're very proud of Tony, Phillip, and the whole Aussie team for their dedication and bravery. Stay safe! Read the full story: https://ow.ly/MA4j50SFIPK #NSWSES #NSWVolunteers #CanadaBound

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud. The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of Indigenous cultures, with fire symbolising connection to Country, each other, and the rich tapestry of traditions defining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NSW SES celebrated NAIDOC Week at State Headquarters with a culturally rich day filled with traditional activities and a feast of indigenous bush tucker. The celebrations began with a traditional smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country, followed by participants engaging in activities including Waybarra (weaving), Gulaman (clay coolamon) and Bundadhaany (art) which were run by family-owned business, Yaali Collective. We are also excited to announce that we have introduced NAIDOC Week awards to acknowledge and appreciate the skills and lived experiences that our First Nations members bring to the agency in keeping communities safe during storms, floods, and tsunamis. These award winners will be announced soon, so keep an eye out for updates on our social media channels. We are proud to honour and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Thank you to everyone who joined us in keeping the fire burning!

The NSW SES is excited to announce that we are getting close to launching our redesigned website, and we need your help with user testing. Our staff, volunteers and members of the public are invited to join us and provide feedback. Objective: Evaluate the clarity and effectiveness of the website's content and navigation. What to expect: Participants will explore pages and sections of the website, navigating and performing specific tasks. The user testing will be conducted via an online tool and is expected to take approximately 30 minutes. It can be completed on a desktop or mobile device. If you'd like to participate, please register your interest: https://ow.ly/VKzl50SysTw . Our goal is to make content easily accessible and understandable to all users, and your feedback will play a vital role in helping us identify any unclear or missing content. Thank you for your time and support!

When it comes to animal rescues, the NSW SES does not horse around and is always ready to jump into action 🐎 NSW SES volunteer David King has dedicated nearly 39 years to rescuing animals of all kinds during emergencies, from retrieving animals stuck in trees and wombat burrows to removing horses from septic tanks and rescuing cows trapped in mud. Mr King has seen the NSW SES become a leader in animal rescue operations in Australasia, which was showcased during the flooding events in 2022, where the service rescued more than 66,000 animals from flood waters across the state. His expertise took him to the global stage at the BARTA 2024 Animal Rescue conference in Glasgow, where he joined experts from around the world. He shared his insights and learnt innovative techniques to bring back home to NSW. To read David’s full story visit: https://ow.ly/xyjS50SxyNX

Celebrating forty-five years supporting the local community! Over the weekend, NSW SES celebrated the 45th anniversary of the NSW SES Tenterfield Unit. For decades, this unit has been vital in supporting Tenterfield and surrounding areas during floods, storms, and emergencies, including road crashes. The establishment of the unit in 1979 was due to the critical need for local emergency assistance as the closest rescue unit at the time was in Glen Innes, over an hour away. Neal O'Reilly was among the original 5 members still at the unit to this day and received recognition as a Life Member. The Tenterfield Unit continues to evolve, welcoming volunteers with diverse skills and focusing on road crash rescue, vertical rescue, and urban search and rescue. With 21 active volunteers, the unit remains a key force in local disaster response, always ready to assist their community in times of need. Happy anniversary Tenterfield. Read more on our website: https://ow.ly/cFVc50SxylP

This NAIDOC Week, we celebrate and recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This years theme, 'Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud', celebrates the spirit of community and invites all to stand in solidarity. Several NSW SES vehicles have been wrapped in the Indigenous artwork, 'Journey After the Storm to honour the invaluable contributions of our Indigenous NSW SES members and New South Wales community members across the State. Later this week, we will be hosting 3 cultural workshops to recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We will share more about these on Thursday. To view NSW SES local community events for NAIDOC Week visit: https://lnkd.in/g2w565Ry #NAIDOC2024 #BlakLoudProud #NSWSES

We're bringing back our Youth Internship Program. Last year, the NSW SES Shellharbour City Unit successfully hosted 20 eager high school students, aged 15-16, for a 10-week adventure. They learnt essential skills in leadership, teamwork, as well as essential skills in storm and flood preparedness. After the internship finished, 5 of the students signed up to volunteer permanently with the Shellharbour Unit and have already actively responded during recent weather events. We're excited to take more students under our wing for the Internship program this year!

Over the weekend, our amazing members of the Warringah-Pittwater Unit took time out of their weekend to host the 'Women Helping Women Workshop' for 40 local female community members to equip them with skills and knowledge to prepare for storms and floods. These hands-on workshops, started by our amazing Warringah-Pittwater Unit members begun after a major storm to empower women with the skills to confidently act and respond in emergencies. Participants learnt practical skills like using ladders safely, building a sandbag wall and understanding floodwater dangers. Together, we’re building more resilient communities.

The NSW SES has received international recognition for the research, development, and introduction of the nation’s most advanced flood operations vehicles, after being presented a Special Commendation Award at the Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards in the United States this week. After two years of extensive global research, consultation with other emergency services and continuous development in our workshop, we created Australia’s foremost flood operations vehicle. The High Clearance Vehicles (HCV), otherwise known as a Unimog, represents a significant enhancement in the NSW SES operational capabilities and strengthens our support in flood rescue operations. These high clearance vehicles include essential features such as a vehicle loading crane, front and rear hydraulic winches, a forward scanning SONAR system (to facilitate visibility beneath floodwaters), and a vehicle-mounted stowage locker. It’s wonderful to be recognised on an international scale for the introduction of these tremendous vehicles and congratulations to everyone involved 👏 Learn more: https://ow.ly/Hunq50SmTHg