The fire season might still be a few months away, but for the dedicated team at Gundagai Fire and Rescue, preparation never stops. In a proactive move to enhance readiness and regional collaboration, the Gundagai brigade has been working closely with the nearby Batlow crew in a series of joint training exercises designed to build confidence, improve coordination, and ultimately protect local communities more effectively.
“Every so often, we get together with the other brigades,” explains Andrew Brock, Deputy Captain of the Gundagai Fire and Rescue. “Gundagai is fortunate. We’ve got both a tanker and a pumper; Batlow only has a pumper. So this is about familiarisation and just working with other crews on how they do things.”
Batlow’s brigade is relatively young in terms of experience, having recently welcomed two recruits and also experienced several retirements. According to Brock, the joint exercises are a critical opportunity to reinforce training and build essential skills.
“It really is a very in-experienced crew, but very keen,” he says. “Gundagai has been fortunate enough to be asked to work with them and help them build their skill sets. It’s going to be continuing for the foreseeable future—we’ll go up once or twice a month to work with them.”
The aim of these sessions isn’t just about local readiness. Brock adds that there are longer-term goals in mind, too. “If there are opportunities for those guys to attend a strike team with us, maybe go interstate, then we’ll try and help facilitate that as well.”
For those unfamiliar with the different types of firefighting vehicles, Brock explains that the terms ‘tanker’ and ‘pumper’ aren’t just interchangeable labels; they represent distinct tools in the fire service arsenal. “There are different types of pumpers: rescue pumpers, hazmat pumpers,” he says.
“Gundagai is a road crash rescue brigade, and as a result, we have a pumper that is built to carry that equipment.” Tankers also vary. “You can get a crash tanker, which is foam-based; a rescue tanker, a hazmat tanker, or a standard bushfire tanker. We’ve got a bushfire tanker, which suits our needs for rural responses.”
Having access to both types of vehicles gives the Gundagai team flexibility to respond to a range of emergencies, from bushfires to road accidents and structural fires.
Deputy Captain Andrew Brock brings 14 years of experience to the team, starting his journey in emergency services with the Rural Fire Service (RFS).
“I started with the RFS and I’m still a member in my local town,” he says. “I wanted to learn more skills and help support the town. At the time, I was working for the local council, so I was available during the day and being two minutes away from the fire station made it an easy choice to get involved.”
Brock speaks passionately about the community focus of the work and the satisfaction that comes from helping others. “I’ve had no regrets. Being able to help the community in their time of need is what I thoroughly enjoy. There’s also the camaraderie at the Gundagai fire station and the friendships with other brigades. We train together, we support each other, and we show up when people need us most.”
It’s not just about emergencies. The brigade also plays a significant role in community engagement. “The smiles you see on kids’ faces when we pull up and let them look around the truck, it makes it all worthwhile,” he adds.
Gundagai Fire and Rescue is now seeking additional retained firefighters to join their team. “In the next couple of weeks, we’re advertising for more retained firefighters,” Brock shares. “It’s a great opportunity for people who want to give back to their community and develop new skills.”
Retained firefighters are paid part-time emergency responders who live or work within proximity to the fire station. They’re trained to the same standards as full-time firefighters and respond to call-outs as needed, often while holding down other jobs or commitments.
One of the recent joint drills between Gundagai and Batlow focused on structure fires, a high-risk scenario that requires fast, coordinated action.
For the Gundagai crew, it was especially relevant. “Unfortunately, we’ve had eight structure fires this year alone,” says Brock. “These drills are all about getting the processes in place. “That includes setting up the truck, establishing a water supply, crews donning breathing apparatus (BA), and then working through the scenario isolating power, assessing hazards, and calling in additional resources if needed.”
According to Brock, repetition and routine are critical in emergency responses. “With an inexperienced crew, you want those actions to become muscle memory. When you pull up to an incident, you’re giving instructions and making decisions under pressure. That kind of consistency helps keep your crew safe and leads to better outcomes.”
With August now in full swing, Brock says the fire risk is currently lower than during the hotter months, but planning is already underway for the upcoming season. “To be brutally honest, we’re waiting to see what the weather patterns will do,” he says. “Thankfully, we’ve had quite a bit of rain through the South West Slopes area, so that’s going to reduce the risk of grass fires. But as we get into warmer weather, anything is possible.”
There are some positives: many local landholders are grazing livestock on roadsides, helping to keep fuel loads down. But Brock warns that hay shed fires remain a concern, especially as baling season kicks in. And right now, in winter, the biggest risks are chimney and house fires.
“People get a little complacent about clothes too close to heaters, chimneys not cleaned properly. We’ve seen an increase in those kinds of incidents this winter. We just want to remind everyone to check their smoke alarms and stay fire-safe at home.”
Weather and fire risk forecasting is coordinated through a dedicated team at Fire and Rescue NSW, in collaboration with the Rural Fire Service and Bureau of Meteorology. Crews are notified in advance when extreme weather is expected. On those days, we might have firefighters sitting at the station ready to go, just in case,” Brock says.
“We do monitor our local weather as well, but most of the messaging comes from the zone office.”
– Liam Stuart
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