For four decades, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) Hawkesbury Unit’s rescue team has served as a vital lifeline to the local community.
The team was formed in 1985, after an increase in accidents along Putty Road, and have since responded to thousands of emergencies with unwavering dedication and expertise.
Whether its rescuing casualties trapped in a car, winching a horse from a septic tank, or a pastry chef’s hand caught in a dough roller, the Hawkesbury rescue team has been there to support the community through it all.
And to mark their 40-year milestone, members will be putting on a display and demonstrations at the Hawkesbury Show this weekend (9-11 May).
NSW SES Hawkesbury Unit Commander Kevin Jones said he still remembers 1985 like it was yesterday.
“I was at the hospital, a couple of days after my first son was born, when I got the call to say our rescue team had gone online,” Inspector Jones said.
“We had been training for 12 months for this day, where we would take over the primary rescue role for the Hawkesbury.”
A couple of weeks later, equipped with 15 members, a Ford F350 truck and hydraulic tools, the team took its first call out as Hawkesbury rescue, assisting ambulance officers load a casualty after an accident on the corner of Putty Road and Stannix Park Road. The second job came the very next day, after a car collided with a horse outside the polo grounds at Richmond.
Prior to 1985, the Hawkesbury did not have its own dedicated rescue unit, and any need for rescues were tasked to the Nepean Rescue Squad in Penrith or the Police Rescue Squad in Blacktown. The takeover of road and rescue operations by NSW SES Hawkesbury Unit would save lives by significantly reducing emergency response time.
Today, the rescue team is made up of 26 active members, which includes Darryl Lever, David King, Kevin Jones and Michael Broome, who have been there since day one.
Inspector Jones said there aren’t many problems the crew can’t solve.
“We’ve helped kids who have got their fingers stuck in plug holes, undertaken vertical rescues where animals are stuck on the ledge of a cliff and even freed people who have locked themselves in their own bathroom,” Inspector Jones said.
“As the leader of the group, I’m very proud of them all. The current boys and girls and the ones that have gone before them have all done a fantastic job to maintain the level of service over the years.
“It’s a big commitment to be part of the team because at any moment you could be dragged away for a rescue.”
NSW SES Acting Assistant Commissioner Allison Flaxman said while the Service’s major responsibilities are for flood, storm and tsunami operations, they also provide rescue services in rural parts of the state.
“The Hawkesbury Unit’s rescue team are to be commended for their dedication to continuously serving their local community over the past 40 years, without a day off,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Flaxman said.
“The team is there for their community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, responding to a vast range of incidents from road accidents, animal rescues, vertical rescues and bush searches.”
The NSW SES Hawkesbury Unit’s 40-years of rescue display at the Hawkesbury Show includes the first hydraulic spreader and other original rescue tools.
Members will be undertaking road crash and vertical rescue demonstrations, while others chat to locals about their flood risks and preparedness.
Media enquiries: NSW SES Metro Media Officer Kiara Magnussen on 0447 699 487