The NSW Government has welcomed 214 new firefighters to its ranks at a graduation ceremony this morning at the Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Emergency Services Academy at Orchard Hills.
The recruits completed their training in all facets of the job, including fire, rescue, emergency first aid, hazardous material treatment and natural disaster response.
Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott joined FRNSW Commissioner Paul Baxter to congratulate the new permanent and on-call firefighters. They observed a live demonstration by the recruits of the types of incidents they could face as firefighters, including a mock service station fire, a structural blaze and a hazardous material emergency,
“These fresh-faced recruits join the ranks at a time when we face the likelihood of more natural disasters over summer as well as the ongoing pandemic, yet nonetheless are committed to work to protect our property and loved ones,” Mr Elliott said.
“They have joined FRNSW because they want to make a difference and now they’re learning the skills to make that positive impact.
Their recruitment represents the ongoing, record investment this Government has made to safeguard our communities from fire and disaster right across this State.”
Commissioner Baxter praised the recruits who come from diverse backgrounds but share one common goal – to protect the irreplaceable.
“These new firefighters appropriately represent the communities they protect,” Commissioner Baxter said.
“They come to us from cities and towns all over New South Wales and beyond with fortitude and determination and we equip them with the knowledge and skills to be prepared for anything, to protect the irreplaceable.”
The recruits have successfully completed almost 15 weeks of training in the Academy’s state-of-the-art learning environments which include a special urban search and rescue scene, an underground train tunnel, a mock service station, a five-storey training tower and a live fire facility.
The new recruits come from a range of backgrounds, including a former teacher, a former restaurant manager and an accomplished landscape architect.
