Marine Rescue NSW now has almost 130 endorsed flood rescue and support field operators within its State Operations Group (SOG) after 12 female volunteers took part in intensive training at Marine Rescue NSW’s first-ever Women in Flood Rescue course, ahead of International Women’s Day this Saturday, 8 March.
L to R Courtney Greenslade, David Novakovic, Alex Barrell, Dave Bowing, Liv Ford, Jane Shirriff
In response to recommendations from the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry, Marine Rescue NSW created a State Operations Group and has built capability and capacity to support the NSW Government’s response during weather emergencies.
The Marine Rescue NSW Women in Flood course was held at Marine Rescue NSW State Headquarters at Cronulla and Penrith’s Whitewater Stadium and included practical on and off-water training and assessment, as well as a leadership seminar.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said this group of highly skilled women is an asset to their local communities and the state.
“Now that they have had this specialised training, these women can be deployed either in their local communities or throughout NSW with specialist vessels and equipment to ensure they can support the community.
“Marine Rescue NSW is committed to the training and development of all its volunteers. Now this core group of women, who have been trained in this specialist skill, can take that expertise back to their communities to support them in times of need,” Commissioner Barrell said.
The three-day Marine Rescue NSW Women in Flood Rescue course was supported through a $25,000 NAB Foundation Community Grant.
Commissioner Barrell said the generosity of the NAB Foundation was greatly appreciated.
“The NAB Foundation’s support is vital in helping Marine Rescue NSW expand its flood rescue and support capabilities in local communities,” he said.
NAB Private Client Director David Novakovic attended the leadership seminar and was in awe of what the women achieved during the course.
“For them to achieve what they have in three days is incredible. It is really a testament to them, giving them confidence to take on leadership positions in marine services—that is what it is all about.
“The NAB Foundation chose to support this particular course for two reasons. First, flood and rescue services are so needed in Australia due to the climate and environment in which we live.
“Secondly, it is great to see women gain confidence and be empowered to take on leadership roles. For those two reasons, this grant submission was received so highly.
“Flood rescue and support is one of those things—you always want to be prepared but hope you never have to use it. These are exactly the kinds of causes the NAB Foundation loves to support,” he said.
Marine Rescue NSW Capability Manager Dave Bowing said participants took part in extensive training before being assessed.
“The women who participated in this course over the last three days undertook prerequisite training in electrical safety, flood rescue awareness, and a range of fitness assessments.
“They attended and completed the self-rescue / land-based flood rescue course at Penrith Whitewater Stadium.
“They also completed their induction on multi-purpose vessels and IRBs (inflatable rescue boats), which are the SOG assets, in addition to deployment activities and taskings, as well as vehicle and equipment familiarisation,” he said.
Bowing said understanding the transport and logistical challenges involved with flood rescue and support is crucial.
“SOG members on deployment may find themselves in locations they have never been to before and deployed with people they do not know. They may be driving a vehicle or a vessel that is unfamiliar to them on roads they have never travelled. Those roads may be damaged or flood-impacted, and the conditions under which they find themselves could be quite strenuous,” he said.
Ten participants passed the course, which is gruelling and complex to ensure they are well prepared to assist during real-life flood emergencies.
The average age of the female participants in Marine Rescue NSW’s Women in Flood Rescue course was 49.3.
Saffron Brun-Smits from Marine Rescue Brunswick said:
“I found it extremely educational; it created a lot of awareness around the potential ways water can act in a flood situation.
“I am much better equipped to deal with those situations if I get the call, and I feel confident that the training I’ve received over the past few days will help me support those in need when we are out there.”
Liz Ellis from Marine Rescue Nambucca said:
“It was a great refresher for me because I’m at Nambucca, and we actually have one of the multi-purpose vessels stationed there, so we have done a fair bit of training on it. But it’s always good to get on a different vessel and go through the whole process from the beginning—checking all the equipment is there and that everything is working as it should.
“A really, really good refresher—driving a vessel that’s basically the same construction, but every vessel is a bit different. We were on unfamiliar waters, which is actually a great experience if you are going to be deployed, as we eventually will be in unfamiliar areas.
“It was all very good practice—refreshing, reinforcing, and working with different team members whom we hadn’t met before. A very good experience.
“Saturday was incredibly physically demanding. They took us right out of our comfort zone—it was very challenging going into that white water, not quite knowing what to expect, having to act very quickly to rescue yourself or someone else. But I guess that could be the reality in a flood zone, so you need to have that experience of how to rescue yourself should you end up in the water.
“I think this group is as ready as we’ll ever be as relatively new inductees. I don’t think anybody going into an emergency situation as a volunteer is going to feel 100% prepared, but I think we’ve learned an awful lot from this weekend, which will stand us in very good stead and hopefully put us in a good position to help the community when needed.”
Sue Hall from Marine Rescue Narooma said:
“It was an amazing experience—incredibly gruelling and very challenging—but it certainly taught us a whole new range of skill sets to survive in floodwater, to rescue ourselves and others. It was just an incredible experience—a huge day, and I’ve learned so much.
“I believe that we’ve gained a huge skill set, and working with other agencies, especially this group of women, has been fantastic. I feel privileged to have trained with them and become part of such an amazing team.”
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
NOTE: Volunteers from ten Marine Rescue NSW units (Point Danger, Brunswick, Nambucca, Tuggerah Lakes, Broken Bay, Port Jackson, Botany Port Hacking, Narooma, Bermagui, and Merimbula) took part in the Women in Flood Rescue course.
