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Fire and rescue officers from across NSW will pit their wits and skills against each other at the Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Regional Firefighter Championship in Grafton this weekend (28-29 May).
The event will be officially opened FRNSW Commissioner Greg Mullins this Saturday, 28 May at 11.00am.
Commissioner Mullins said he is delighted the second round of the 2016 FRNSW Regional Firefighter Championship series will be held at Grafton.
“Firefighters train for these events for many months and there is a strong competitive streak within the brigades to prove who the top team is on the weekend,” Commissioner Mullins said.
“They compete in challenges that test their skills in setting up and deploying firefighting equipment quickly and safely in a competitive environment.
“The events are designed to be exciting and fun, but also have the more serious purpose of honing skills that will be critical to our firefighters in real emergencies.”
Commissioner Mullins also urged anyone who may be interested in becoming a retained, or on-call, firefighter to come along to the championship to talk to brigade members and learn more about the job.
“Retained firefighters respond to emergencies from work or home and play an important role in ensuring the safety of people, property and bushland across hundreds of regional and rural communities in NSW,” Commissioner Mullins said.
“They are trained and equipped to deal with the same emergencies as full-time firefighters and are dedicated and passionate about what they do – and you can witness that skill and commitment first hand at the firefighter championship.”
Commissioner Mullins said the championship provided firefighters with the opportunity to work together under pressure and develop their operational skills.
“Local Grafton firefighters have put a lot of time and effort into preparations for hosting the event, and nearly 80 firefighters from across NSW are looking forward to coming to Grafton to test their skills,” he said.
All events, community safety demonstrations and activities will be held opposite Jacaranda Park, corner of Prince and Hoof streets, Grafton, 8am to 4pm on Saturday and 8am to 1pm on Sunday. Entry is free. The opening ceremony is at 11am on Saturday.