With the summer storm season well and truly here, the capabilities of the State Emergency Service (SES) in the Upper Hunter to respond to incidents has been given a boost.
The keys to a new Storm Vehicle, Storm Trailer and a General Purpose Trailer have been handed to the volunteers at the Muswellbrook and Scone SES units worth $235,000.
The new storm response vehicles and equipment have been funded through the NSW Government’s SES Fleet Replacement Program.
Member for Upper Hunter Dave Layzell was joined by Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke to hand over the keys and said it will make a huge difference.
“This vehicle and equipment will make a major difference to our SES volunteers of the Muswellbrook and Scone Units, allowing them to better support communities during emergencies,
“Between them, these two Units have responded to almost 400 requests for assistance from the community this year and it’s important we make sure our frontline responders have the very latest resources so that our communities are kept safer,” said Dave Layzell.
SES Commissioner Carlene York said the new light storm vehicle and trailer provides an effective response capability.
“This vehicle and trailer will be used for storm damage operations, including tree and roof jobs, pumping and temporary storage, as well as flood rescue,” Commissioner York said.
SES Northern Zone Commander, Chief Superintendent Andrew Cribb, welcomed the additional resources for the Upper Hunter-based Units.
“We are very grateful for the investment in our local Units. These assets will enable us to provide a more efficient and effective service to our community, as well as transport equipment and supplies to our volunteers while they are out responding to requests for assistance,” Chief Superintendent Cribb said.