Nowra-based Damien Dubrowin is among 15 National Parks and Wildlife Service firefighters who have been called up this week to help Canadian Emergency Services battle unprecedented wildfires.
Mr Dubrowin is part of the fourth deployment of National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) specialist firefighters, leaving Sydney on Saturday 15 July for a 4-week stint.
‘Since the initial call for assistance come through in May the fire emergency continues to escalate and 48 NPWS firefighters have since deployed to Canada as part of the Australian/New Zealand contingent,’ Mr Dubrowin said.
‘We are part of an international effort including firefighters from the United States, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, France, Spain, Chile, Mexico and Costa Rica focussed on helping the Canadians battle fires burning across most provinces.
‘My role will be Lead Planning Officer, part of the Incident Management Team, working alongside NPWS air operations managers, air crew, divisional commanders and Remote Area Fire Teams (RAFT).
‘We have very similar approaches to wildfire management so our crews will be fully integrated and will be able to provide support to the already stretched Canadian firefighters,’ Mr Dubrowin said.
Joining Mr Dubrowin on a flight to Canada this weekend is Nowra-based Kim Waterhouse and Chris Wilson from Narooma who are both part of the highly trained RAFT crew.
RAFT crew work in rugged, isolated areas that firefighting tankers can’t access. They are skilled in ‘dry firefighting’ techniques such as creating firebreaks by cutting mineral earth trails, or undertaking backburning.
NPWS wishes Damien, Kim, Chris and all NPWS staff already in, or heading to, Canada a safe deployment and return home.
Meanwhile South Coast NPWS staff continue to plan a program of hazard reduction burns ahead of summer. More than 2,500 hectares have been treated in South Coast parks and reserves in the last year, with further burns planned for spring, weather permitting.
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