The Rural Fire Service has hit back at uninformed criticism about it’s volunteer members following a fatal house fire at Denham’s Beach last month.
A man in his 50’s died in the tragedy on Beach Road which was responded to by several local RFS brigades and Fire and Rescue NSW Batemans Bay Station.
Some local residents have since taken to social media claiming crews did not have the correct equipment or training for the job.
But Eurobodalla Group Officer Jenny Bamman said that is simply wrong.
“RFS has the appropriate equipment. In fact Surf Beach, who were the first crew on scene, has an urban fire appliance specifically designed for structure fires,” she said.
“Our crews are very well trained over several years for these type of jobs. In fact the training our structural fire fighters go through is quite intensive.”
The Rural Fire Service said there were absolutely no issues with the response to a fatal house fire in Batemans Bay last month.
Mrs Bamman also rubbished claims by some locals about confusion over jurisdiction of house fires in Surf Beach and surrounds.
She says there are well practiced protocols in place that put community safety first.
“If someone rings Emergency Triple Zero, the RFS and Fire and Rescue NSW are both notified at the same time and responded,” she said.
“This particular incident was in the Surf Beach RFS Brigade jurisdiction so they were the agency that got there first, however there were several brigades including from Fire and Rescue NSW Batemans Bay Station, who were very close behind.”
Mrs Bamman said the unfounded criticism has a big effect on her fellow volunteers.
“Not that it would interrupt our operations at all but it does effect the morale of these people because they are volunteers. They do get out of bed at any hour of the night to respond to calls. They do it because they want to protect their community.”
