Local volunteers join strike team helping out with flood rescues down south

Community-minded members of the Volunteer Rescue Association are part of a strike team helping out down south.

VRA FLOOD HELP: Members from three units of the region's Volunteer Rescue Association have formed a strike team and are working out of Port Macquarie to assist their emergency services colleagues with flood and storm rescues.

A strike team of members from the region's Volunteer Rescue Association across the region are assisting with flood rescues on the mid-north coast.

On Monday, Tweed Valley District Rescue Squad leader, Drew Carr, said three members from the Northern Rivers had gone south to support their State Emergency Service colleagues.

HAPPY TO HELP: Members from three units of the region's Volunteer Rescue Association are on a strike team working out of Port Macquarie to assist their emergency services colleagues with flood and storm rescues.

"We have members from each of Tweed, Brunswick Heads and Glenn Innes VRA Units now at Port Macquarie," he said.

"They are working with emergency services colleagues as needed."

 

WORKING TOGETHER: Northern Rivers Volunteer Rescue Association members formed a strike team and are working out of Port Macquarie to assist their emergency services colleagues with flood and storm rescues.

But he said members were still extremely frustrated by people choosing to disobey road closed signs.

"We have had the situation where drivers choose to ignore road closed signs and drive past emergency service vehicles and personnel only to require our assistance when they get stuck," he said.

"This is a huge waste of resources as it could have been prevented."

Meanwhile, Mr Carr said the VRA members had been working very well with their emergency services colleagues.

"There's been some excellent inter-agency liaison," he said.

"We do have a great working relationship with the SES."

 

VRA: Members from three units of the region's Volunteer Rescue Association have formed a strike team and are working out of Port Macquarie to assist their emergency services colleagues with flood and storm rescues.

Mr Carr said during serve weather events the local SES "do the heavy lifting."

"They send us messages on events they want us to assist with tasking," he said.

"Our VRA area runs from Taree to Tweed and goes inland as far as to Casino."

Mr Carr said on the Northern Rivers, members had been kept busy.

"We have attended several flood rescues and some motor vehicle collisions," he said.,

"At the moment we ask drivers to show some extra care and to remember not to drive through flood water, it it's flooded forget it."