Around 30 members of Bega Valley Rural Fire Service brigades took part in a round robin of events at the weekend to refresh and maintain their skills.
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“This is about preparation for the season ahead and practising the skills we know we will need during the bushfire season,” Pambula RFS captain Stephen Irving said.
“Looking ahead there is 55 per cent chance of average rainfall we have been told by BoM and that means that it’s 46 per cent chance of us having below average rainfall.
“Even in an average season there’s not enough rain. It’s very dry therefore it’s going to be a busy season,” Mr Irving said.
He said that the brigade carried out hazard reduction burns over winter but even so fuel loads are quite high.
“That’s why we constantly harp on to property owners to clean up around their property. They need to ensure their property is as safe as possible, gutters cleaned and it’s safe around the house, plus they need to have a plan,” Mr Irving added.
The skills maintenance work included navigation, motor vehicle accidents, pumping, bush firefighting and structural fires.
The brigades involved were Pambula, Merimbula, Brogo, Candelo, Towamba, Burragate, Wyndham, Eden and Rocky Hall.