The NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) is sending a third deployment to Canada this week to assist in the fight against unprecedented wildfires.
Situation Officer Kim Ferguson from the Tumbarumba Shire Unit and Supply Officer Britt Hendriks from the Orange City Unit will fly to Canada on Tuesday.
Kim Ferguson has extensive experience in flood and bushfire emergencies, both as a volunteer and as a disaster response and recovery professional.
Her disaster management skills were honed during the Black Summer bushfires that hit her Snowy Mountains community, and again during recent floods.
As a situation officer in Canada, Kim Ferguson will be responsible for gathering information to inform better decision-making.
“It’s not just about putting the wet stuff on the red stuff,” she said.
“It’s very much about getting the information so the broader community actually gets what they need.”
Britt Hendricks also brings high-level disaster-management skills to the NSW SES, and the Canada deployment. As a civil engineer specialising in humanitarian engineering, she has advanced skills in logistics and supply.
“I really love how both my SES career and my professional career have helped each other out significantly,” she said.
“It’s great that volunteering for the SES is directly assisting me in gaining additional professional skills, but also that those professional skills allow you to get access to incredible opportunities like this Canada deployment. It’s amazing how they build off each other.”
NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York APM said the deployment highlights the opportunities for people in professions like engineering and consulting to give back to their communities through the NSW SES.
“Responding to emergencies is about so much more than the front line. There’s enormous potential for people in the professions to join the SES and put their unique skills to work in disaster management,” she said.
