Glen Innes Severn Mayor Steve Toms, left, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and Glen Innes VRA captain Mike Brewer discussing the $10,000 NSW Government grant.
Wednesday, 22 August 2018
NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has delivered a $10,000 funding bonus to the Glen Innes Volunteer Rescue Squad that will see it upgrade its emergency resources.
Mr Marshall has handed over the gift to the Glen Innes Volunteer Rescue Association squad captain Mike Brewer this week after securing the funding with a special request to the Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant.
“The $10,000 will go towards the overall cost a new custom-built lights trailer that the Glen squad is designing that will improve the service it provides to the community,” Mr Marshall said.
“It will be used to complete a specialty designed lights trailer that can be rolled out for emergency incidents, but also be shared for other emergencies that neighboring VRA units at Guyra and Inverell can call on too.”
Mr Marshall said the trailer would be a huge asset, able to throw state-of-the-art lighting and generator power at critical incidents to help police, fire and ambulance services in emergency situations.
Glen Innes VRA captain Mike Brewer described the funding as a big windfall.
“It’s great. It will help us but also help other services that we work with in emergencies,” Mr Brewer said.
“The actual trailer cost has been donated but this money will help with the lighting and control section.
“The total cost is about $18,000 and the trailer should be in our hands in about a fortnight but getting the generators, cables and lights onto it will take a bit longer.”
The Glen Innes Rescue Sqaud has 18 volunteer members and services what Mr Marshall estimates is one of the largest areas in distance in NSW, ranging from about 105 kilometres towards Grafton, up to Deepwater, and halfway to Guyra and Inverell.
“They respond to varied critical incidents ranging from remote cliff and bush rescues, to fires, to serious and fatal motor vehicle accidents, and even to farm and domestic events and incidents,” Mr Marshall said.
“They respond to a diverse range of emergencies these days and equipping the Glen VRA with more modern resources will help everyone, not just emergency services, but also significantly, the victims and injured people caught up in such events.”
“The Glen Innes rescue works hard to raise their own funds to keep the squad ready for action. They’re invaluable to the Glen Innes district and I’m pleased and proud that I’ve been able to secure this one-off funding to help with their life-saving work.”