By MATT NICHOLLS
VOLUNTEERS with the Armidale brigade of the NSW Rural Fire Service have been run off their feet this summer, zone manager Steve Mepham says.
Superintendent Mepham said he had been in charge of the New England area for 11 years and couldn’t remember a drier season.
“It’s certainly the most protracted fire periods we’ve had, there’s been no let up for the last four months,” he said.
“A lot of the fires have been out near Walcha in the national parks, but they’ve taken up a lot of man hours.”
Because property and life hadn’t been deemed at risk, the fires went largely unreported, Supt Mepham said.
“A lot of this stuff doesn’t hit the media, and we are so busy there’s no real time to reflect.”
The New England zone covers the Armidale, Guyra, Uralla and Walcha municipalities, and there are more than 1200 volunteers across the region.
“However, only about a quarter of those are available to take on fires outside of their own area,” Supt Mepham said.
“We are desperate for more volunteers and not necessarily people to be on the front line, either.
“Volunteering could involve logistics, radioing, catering and other tasks away from the actual fire.”
People with an interest in avionics could also prove handy.
“At the airport, we have to get a plane filled with water in four minutes before they go back up again and that requires people on the ground,” Supt Mepham said.
Volunteer group officer Pat Bradley said his peers at the Armidale brigade were like a “band of brothers”.
“You do make some good friendships and you get real satisfaction out of helping,” he said.
“The quality of training is also first-class.”
Mr Bradley said he and fellow volunteer captain Steve Bishop had made numerous interstate trips to help fight fires elsewhere.
“We went down with a big contingent to the Black Saturday fires in Victoria, and I can tell you that they were the worst I’ve seen,” he said.
“Around Kinglake and places like that was just horrible.”
Volunteers in Armidale are currently on standby to attend fires in South Australia, Victoria and southern NSW if they escalate.
You can volunteer for the Rural Fire Service by visiting your local brigade or by calling the Armidale centre on 6771 2400.
