Taree VRA Rescue Squad found themselves in unfamiliar territory recently when they were the one's receiving assistance - in the form of $45,000 in cash and equipment.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The squad held an open day at their Taree base on Saturday, April 13 to highlight the organisation's capabilities across the state and to launch a fundraising campaign to aid the upgrade of rescue equipment.
A definite highlight of the day was the donation of $40,000 worth of motor vehicle hydraulic rescue equipment provided by an anonymous mining company from Western Australia.
Taree Rescue Squad captain, Dave Longworth said he was amazed at the generosity shown towards the VRA, all of which will be used to assist the community.
"That was a really big part of the launch for businesses based interstate have seen the need and are willing to back rescue services on the opposite side of the country," Dave said.
Not to be outdone, an equally generous personal donation of $5000 was provided by Mr Ray Stack.
The open day was attended by a host of dignitaries, including MidCoast mayor Claire Pontin, Member for Myall Lakes Tanya Thompson, VRA NSW commissioner Brenton Charlton.
The commissioner and others commented on the obviously good inter-agency cooperation between the emergency services in the local area, both paid and volunteered.
- Taree VRA Rescue Squad captain, Dave Longwoth
Also present were representatives from NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, Rural Fire Service, State Emergency Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, and Marine Rescue.
One topic of conversation repeated throughout the day was of the cohesion between different branches of first responders in the area.
"The commissioner and others commented on the obviously good inter-agency cooperation between the emergency services in the local area, both paid and volunteered," Dave said.
Despite the life saving work they have conducted for over 49 years, Taree Rescue Squad, as with the rest of VRA NSW is largely dependant upon donations from the community.
With limited government support for the volunteer organisation relies on the generosity of businesses and individuals to ensure they are provided with the equipment they need to save lives.
"The government, irrespective of what government it is, they're never cashed up enough to satisfy everyone's desires, so the financial support from community, businesses and industries is extremely important for our continued upgrades."
If you would like to make a tax free donation to VRA NSW you can do so via their website or by contacting Taree Rescue Squad directly via email on taree.secretary@vrarescue.org
