Walgett: Fire and Rescue NSW and Indigenous elders teach fire safety to residents

Firefighters have teamed up with local elders to build relationships and provide community awareness in an aim to reduce fire risk in the state’s north west. Read here.

Fire crews held a community event to meet residents and provide fire safety advice. Photo: Fire and Rescue NSW

Fire and Rescue NSW have teamed up with community elders to build relationships and reduce fire risks in the state’s northwest.

FRNSW area commander Garry Barber said crews attended Walgett and provided fire safety advice and connected with residents who had recently experienced natural disasters in nearby bushland.

Firefighters, including Indigenous frontliners from Brewarrina, and elders went door knocking to test smoke alarms and check fire hydrant accessibility.

The crew also held a community event to meet residents and provide fire safety advice, offering locals with peace of mind in relation to fire dangers within their home.

A firefighter testing out the smoke alarms in Walgett. Photo: Fire and Rescue NSW

Local elders and fire crew team together to help community. Photo: Fire and Rescue NSW

“Walgett is an area where it’s proved a challenge for FRNSW to develop relationships with the local community in the past,” Mr Barber said.

“By using Indigenous firefighters with whom residents are related or already know, combined with the help from elders, we have been able to build trust with the community and assist it to reduce the risk of fire.

“We are now hoping to apply this template in other remote communities like Lake Cargelligo, in the state’s cental west, to foster new relationships and pass on our advice.”

He said the crew used the event as a recruitment opportunity for on-call firefighters which attracted one person to apply.