Triple-0 operators traumatised by horror NSW south coast bushfires
They are the hidden victims of the devastating bushfires on the NSW south coast — the triple-0 call takers who dealt with the horrors non-stop. And now some workers of the unit remain so traumatised by the experience they have been unable to return to their roles since.
NSW
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Traumatised triple-0 call centre staff who answered hundreds of calls on one of NSW’s deadliest bushfire days haven’t been able to return to their roles since.
The horror of December 31, 2019, when bushfires ripped through the NSW south coast, killing eight people and razing small towns, has had a lasting impact on many emergency service workers.
That extends to people behind the scenes, including staff at the south coast Police Radio Operations Centre.
They were responsible for answering triple-0 calls from people in life-threatening situations across multiple fire zones stretching from the Bega Valley to Wollongong.
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It is understood the call operators dealt with people trapped in their homes or cars, surrounded by flames and, in some cases, had to try and guide people out of the fire path using maps.
The sheer volume of calls and the magnitude of the disaster traumatised many of these call centre staff, with a quarter of the team that worked on New Year’s Eve now off work.
NSW Police confirmed three staff from the south coast centre, based at Oaks Flat, had submitted worker’s compensation claims for the psychological injuries suffered that day.
However, a NSW Police spokesman said shifts in the radio operations centre were boosted by using overtime hours and it was at “full seating capacity” during peak periods.
The fire-affected channel was also split into two, with two operators working on each.
Communications and Security Commander, Assistant Commissioner Kyle Stewart said the calming voices of dispatchers provided reassurance to frontline officers.
“There’s no end to their professionalism and I couldn’t be prouder of the expert services they provide, and not just during high-profile emergencies, such as the recent bushfires, it’s every day,” he said.
“That said, the work of those on shift during the harrowing days at the height of the bushfire emergency will be formally acknowledged when we’re in a position to get together.”
The NSW Police Radio Operations Group handles non-urgent and urgent, including triple-0, calls and co-ordinates how police resources are deployed.
Shadow Police Minister Lynda Voltz claimed there were no extra to staff to manage the barrage of calls when fires hit the towns of Mogo and Cobargo in the early hours of December 31.
There were also only six call staff on between 6am and 9am, she said.
“They became distressed as their pleas for extra resources were ignored,” she said.
“Staff were quickly overwhelmed by complex and dangerous fires and that only got worse when radio towers were destroyed.
“It was only as the situation was unfolding on the day that additional staff were called to come in and a channel diverted to Sydney.
“That Radio Operation Centre has now lost three staff members with almost 70 years of experience who are now unable to work since that day.”
The south coast was one of the hardest-hit areas during the bushfire season, particularly on New Year’s Eve when dangerous weather conditions pushed bushfires beyond predictions.
The towns of Cobargo and Mogo were heavily impacted and thousands of people flocked to the beaches to take shelter in haunting scenes that were broadcast around the world.
Of the eight people who died during or following the December 31 fires, some were found in their cars after trying to escape the flames, while others were killed defending their properties.