When Wingham firefighter Troy Unicomb was faced with the decision to help his local community or himself, it was an easy one to make.
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As floodwaters rapidly rose throughout the Wingham township on Saturday, March 20, the on-call firefighter was responding to the many requests for help alongside his fellow firefighters.
With limited numbers and resources, the local crews faced insurmountable odds to keep their community safe.
When floodwaters threatened his own home, Mr Unicomb received a call to assist a mother and her two children trapped in their home by the rising water. He did not hesitate in going to the family's aid.
"Troy is a selfless firefighter, who always puts others first. So I wasn't surprised when he stayed to help the community over trying to save his own home," Wingham Fire Station Captain David O'Donnell said.
Troy's home was eventually inundated by floodwaters but he stayed to assist in the response to the countless calls for help from the community. Many of those calls were for medical incidents, which the Wingham crew were able to manage due to their Community First Responder (CFR) capability, which trains local firefighters in medical response when NSW Ambulance is unable to respond or delayed.
NSW Ambulance Paramedic Jess Cooke said for almost three days, their crews were unable to respond to emergencies due to floodwaters. "So the Wingham crew went above and beyond, responding to dozens of medical calls."
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Acting Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said the response by firefighters during the disaster and in the cleanup efforts following demonstrates their wide range of skills and capabilities.
"From hundreds of land and water based rescues to the mammoth clean up and recovery operation, our firefighters remain on the ground supporting our communities," Acting Commissioner Fewtrell said.
"While our firefighters are hosing out properties, assisting residents, removing debris, and assessing damage, most importantly, they are also providing assurance to the communities that they are not alone and that their emergency services are there alongside them."
Residents in affected areas are reminded that water from water tanks and waterways is likely contaminated and to avoid it at all costs. Many chemicals from farmland and industrial areas have also been dispersed by the flooding. FRNSW Hazmat crews are on standby across the affected areas so if residents come across any chemicals or contamination, they are urged to call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
