The NSW Government has welcomed 214 new firefighters to its ranks at a graduation ceremony this morning at the Fire and Rescue NSW Emergency Services Academy in Orchard Hills.
Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said two of them are on their way to Coffs Harbour Fire Station.
Mr Singh welcomes the new firefighters to our city.
“They have joined FRNSW because they want to make a difference and now they’re learning the skills to make that positive impact,” Mr Singh said.
“On behalf of our community, I am pleased to be able to welcome our newest firefighters.”
The recruits have 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 Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Paul Baxter to congratulate the new permanent and on-call firefighters.
“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.
“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 new 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.
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.
