Green light for 24/7 fire fighting service | Bathurst
BY BRIAN WOOD
http://www.westernadvocate.com.au/news/local/news/general/green-light-for-247...
THE recruitment process to provide staff for an 24-hour manned fire station for Bathurst has begun.
Once the 10 extra firefighters needed for the initiative are found, the station will go 24/7 immediately.
The news that residents across the city were hoping for was delivered in the NSW budget on Tuesday, with $1.9 million being made available to fund the Bathurst initiative.
It comes after years of lobbying to bring the city up to the same status as other regional towns, such as Orange and Dubbo, which already have full-time services.
While there is no specific date for the start up of Bathurst’s 24/7 station, the staffing process is being fast-tracked and, according to Fire and Rescue NSW Regional West Area Commander Chief Superintendent Neil Harris, it will effectively double the number of officers here.
“At present Bathurst has two officers and eight firefighters,” he said. “An around-the-clock station will have four officers and 16 firefighters.
“This is fantastic news for Bathurst and reflects the demands of the city’s growing population. It gives you the same capabilities as other major regional cities.”
Station officer Guy Dover from Bathurst Fire Station said yesterday his team was ecstatic at the news.
“It’s really lifted our spirits and takes pressure off some of those long shifts,” he said. “It will also take some of the pressure off the retained firefighters, whose role will not change at all.”
Station officer Dover said a 24/7 roster involves an officer doing two 10-hour day shifts followed by two 14 hour night shifts before having a three-day break.
Each shift would be manned by a minimum of one officer and three firefighters.
Bathurst Regional Council general manager David Sherley said yesterday council had included $157,000 in the current budget to pay for the service, increasing to anywhere between $200,000 and $250,000 in 2012-13.
Tim Anderson, country branch secretary of the NSW Fire Brigade Employees’ Union, said yesterday the budget announcement was fantastic news for Bathurst.
“We’ve been fighting for this for a number of years,” he said.
“Orange and Dubbo went 24/7 five or six years ago, so it was about time Bathurst had a similar status.”
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