In a test of field awareness and ability to work hand-in-hand with one another, the State Emergency Service and Fire & Rescue NSW passed with flying colours.
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The crews participated in a “combined emergency exercise” which consisted of two rescue operations, with the first being to rescue a “farmer” who had gotten his arm trapped in an auger.
Fire & Rescue NSW senior instructor Anthony Hatch said the exercise was designed so both crews would have to rely on each other.
“The SES are the primary rescue agency but they don't have a confined space breathing apparatus at the building, whereas the fire brigade do,” he said.
“So to achieve this they have to work as a team.
“The SES will do the rescue and the fire brigade will work together with them with the breathing apparatus, because they have the equipment and expertise.”
He said this training exercise provided one particular problem that the general public could face each day.
“A lot of the public aren't aware confined areas can contain hazards,” he said.
“For example, someone might drop their keys down a street drain and think it's fine to go down there and get them.
“Within a second or two of being in a toxic environment you collapse and end up at the bottom of the pit.”
These crews made no such mistake, carefully assessing the situation before they determined the proper way to go about things.
Twenty-five people, from two separate rescue services, working as one cohesive unit.
With the situation seemingly under control, Mr Hatch and the rest of the supervisors weren’t about to do the crews any favours, as they added a second emergency situation into the mix.
This time a “worker” had suffered a heart attack atop a 20 metre high silo.
The crews worked quickly to examine the situation and, with the first drill still under way, split into separate teams.
After examining a number of ways to safely access the top of the silo, three crew members were able to access the “worker.”
While the second drill was still being dealt with, the initial “farmer” was safely rescued, limbs intact.
Eventually the second worker was stretchered down using a system of ropes and cables.
Overall the exercise went off without a hitch, to the pleasure of participants and supervisors.
This was just one of a number of drills these crews undertake year in and year out.
“They’ll get such a learning experience out of this that it will be brilliant because people are doing things for the first time here instead of a real rescue,” Mr Hatch said.
