Here’s how Murwillumbah locals came to the rescue
Fire, flood and serious car crashes are just some of the incidents Tweed District Rescue Squad volunteers are called to
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FIRE, flood and serious car crashes are just some of the incidents Tweed District Rescue Squad volunteers are called to.
But without tireless fundraising, government grants and generous donations, the organisation would cease.
The volunteers' efforts haven't gone unnoticed by a group of Murwillumbah residents who donated almost $1000 to the squad on Thursday.
Gary Watson was among a group of former Murwillumbah High School students who organised a 50th anniversary school reunion last month.
At the reunion they raffled 6 bottles of port donated by former student George Watts and raised $900.
Mr Watson said the group donated the money to Tweed District Rescue Squad because they were a not-for-profit volunteer organisation.
President Drew Carr said such donations were crucial to the operation of the squad.
Mr Carr said other than a "small" grant from the Volunteer Rescue Association, the squad survived purely on donations.
"Unless we apply for a grant, all the money comes from sausage sizzles and chook raffles and special donations like this," Mr Carr said.
"Rescue is not a cheap business and we've just recently invested nearly $50,000 in new equipment and technology and that's after years and years of saving.
"It's donations like this that really reinforces we are doing the right thing for the community."
He said the squad had a busy few months from assisting with the bushfire crisis, last month's floods and a recent spate of car crashes.
"Our efforts do assist the RFS in their bushfire efforts and with the recent wet weather, we've had a lot to do with that as well.
"And that's on top of our everyday roles here in the community needing general rescue.
"On average we normally attend at least 150 incidents a year. That number is slowly going down a bit because the severity of road crashes is decreasing.
"In the past few days there's been three major collisions where there's been no major injuries, it's quite astonishing."
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