The local volunteers who are ready when the Myall Coast needs them

WHEN bushfires threaten the Myall Coast, residents and visitors know they can rely on the volunteers of the Pindimar Tea Gardens Rural Fire Service Brigade to be there.

The recent bushfires, including one that came close to Tea Gardens township, were a powerful reminder of the role local volunteers play in protecting the community.

The Brigade has thanked local residents and businesses for their support during the recent fires.

Fighting bushfires is only one part of the job for the 49-member Brigade.

For Myall Coast residents and the thousands of visitors who travel through the area, the volunteers are also called upon to respond to motor vehicle accidents, house fires, floods and other emergencies.

“Whenever we get a bit of rain there is an increase in motor vehicle accidents, and winter also leads to an increase in house fires,” Pindimar Tea Gardens RFS Brigade President, Helmut Panhuber, told News Of The Area.

Volunteers are also regularly called upon to assist NSW Police, NSW Ambulance and Fire and Rescue NSW at incidents across the community.

The Brigade recently helped with flood clean-up operations following flooding around Taree, Wingham and Bombah.

“There’s not much fire activity then!” Mr Panhuber said.

The local Brigade currently has 49 members, including 29 operationally qualified active firefighters.

The average age of its active firefighters, once over 60, has dropped to around 50, with seven members under 30 joining since the major fires of the last season.

The changing age profile is helping to strengthen the Brigade for the future and ensure there are local volunteers ready to respond when the community needs them.

The Pindimar Bushfire Brigade was formed in the 1980s, with its first fire truck, affectionately known as “The Old Bastard”, purchased with funds raised by the local community.

Following the Rural Fires Act 1997 and the establishment of the NSW Rural Fire Service, Tea Gardens Station was built, creating the Pindimar Tea Gardens RFS Brigade with two stations.

Today, the Brigade operates a fleet that includes a large Cat 1 tanker carrying up to 4,000 litres, a 1,200-litre Cat 7 tanker, an 800-litre Cat 9 fire ute and a 9,000-litre Cat 6 Tatra bulk water and firefighting tanker.

The Brigade also has a PC Juliet vehicle and the Thames Trader, a heritage firefighting truck.

For residents and visitors, the fleet represents more than trucks and equipment, it is a local emergency response capability staffed by volunteers who give their time to protect the Myall Coast.

The Brigade said the community’s support is particularly important as volunteers continue to prepare for whatever emergency comes next.