PERMANENT firefighters in Nowra, who have been campaigning for a 24-hour manned fire station for many years, won a significant victory on Thursday night when the Premier announced funding for the extra manpower to make it happen.
The 24/7 roster was part of a two-pronged campaign. The second part will be securing a fire station on the northern side of the Shoalhaven River.
Fire Brigade Employees Union Illawarra branch secretary Andy Coppin said he and the members of Nowra Fire Brigade were very happy with the announcement.
“Kristina Keneally announced $12.7 million in funding for Bathurst and Nowra fire stations to go 24/7.
“If you had asked me a year ago whether we could have achieved this I would have said not a hope in hell. But we ran a good campaign and we’re very happy.
“Now we’ve just got to get the department to do the mechanics of it and get it up and running.”
Mr Coppin said the move would create jobs for seven more firefighters and two station officers.
South Coast MP Shelley Hancock confirmed the Coalition would match the funding commitment.
“It’s good news and I spoke with the emergency services shadow minister and we will be backing that funding,” she said.
South Coast ALP candidate Glenn Sims met with fire brigade members on Friday and gave them an unequivocal guarantee that if elected he would do everything in his power to have a second fire station for Nowra built on the northern side of the Shoalhaven River.
“This will help in the critical seven minute response time necessary for the fire brigade to contain a house fire,” Mr Sims said.
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