Forbes’ State Emergency Service volunteers put their road crash rescue skills to the test at the State Road Crash Rescue Challenge.
Six members of our local unit participated in the three-day event, racing the clock to rescue people trapped in crushed vehicles and testing their responses to seriously injured people.
The experience in a training and learning environment is absolutely invaluable, says local volunteer Savannah-Lee Bevan, giving them the opportunity to work with other emergency services and industry leaders in a non-emergency situation.
Forbes performed well too - placing third of 16 teams in the controlled rescue; and fourth in an industrial and domestic rescue challenge – and this is particularly impressive given the team only debuted in the competition 2024.
Even more important than success is the feedback these volunteers bring back to their local weekly Wednesday night training.
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“The feedback we get is very valuable: we take our feedback home and we train off our feedback,” Savannah said.
There was also a special focus on safely responding to electric vehicles involved in a crash, teaching our first responders to safely immobilise the cars.
The Road Crash Rescue Challenge presents teams with the most realistic training scenarios possible: crushed cars, entrapped people who have been scripted to communicate the sorts of injuries and complications that might arise in an emergency.
Teams were given 30 minutes to free them without causing any more injury.
In the controlled section where Forbes placed third, there were two casualties.
“So it comes down to our medical team being able to access both, triage both and treat both as well,” Savannah said.
Encountering these in a training environment, our volunteers can be better prepared to meet the unique challenges of their next call out.
“In the world of rescue, no two jobs are the same,” Savannah said.
It’s serious but on the day the atmosphere is one of collaboration between first responders of all services.
“The competition side of it is fun and friendly – not only other people in our service but other services as well,” Savannah said.
For Ryan Jones, who joined the SES in the Hawkesbury in 2005 and came to Forbes five years ago, these competitions are imperative, especially for our relatively isolated crews.
Most situations our first responders face won’t be as complex as what they’re presented with at the challenge, but they are based on real situations.
“We train regularly locally but these competitions invest a lot of time in simulating injuries and you have actors that are patients in the cars – and they’ve got simulated injuries that require treatment,” Ryan said.
Specialist assessors look at three aspects of every rescue: the planning and execution; medical response; and the technical aspects of equipment use.
“It’s going on 20 years that I’ve known these people and it’s an awesome feeling in that room with all those people because you know they’re all going back to their little patch of the world to keep doing what they do and try and do it better,” Ryan said.
You can’t be too prepared, Ryan believes, and it really makes a difference when you’ve received a call and you have confidence in your tools, your team and your own skills.
Of course, the opportunity to work with other first responders outside an emergency situation is also invaluable.
Our Forbes SES volunteers work closely with Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Ambulance and Rural Fire Service across the Forbes shire, as well as into Eugowra and neighbouring areas.
This ultimately means better outcomes for the community, Fire and Rescue NSW Acting Assistant Commissioner Regional Operations, David Felton AFSM said.
"This multi-agency challenge is about making sure the NSW state road crash rescue crews have the right skills and experience when it matters most,” Assistant Commissioner Felton said.
“As the world embraces new technology like lithium-ion batteries, our people are now responding to incidents with new layers of complexity and risk.
“The workshops (were) a great opportunity for our people to develop their understanding of safety and best practice at incidents involving electric vehicles.”
NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing AFSM said the event, now in its fifth year, was vital for developing the skills of rescuers and strengthening inter-agency partnerships.
"It is crucial that our volunteers are highly competent with advanced skills, new equipment and techniques, so that they can adapt quickly to any situation they are faced with when they are out in the field,” Commissioner Wassing said.
“Events like this not only refine the proficiencies of our volunteers and enhance our inter-agency cooperation and working relationships, but also ensure the community gets the best possible response it can when we respond together to real world emergencies.”
