News

NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) supported NSW Police Force in Kosciuszko National Park over the weekend (Friday 12 to Sunday 14 March) in a large-scale exercise designed to help hone their search and rescue skills.

NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York said 150 of the service’s specialist bush and alpine search and rescue volunteers supported teams from NSW Police Force over the three-day exercise.

“Our teams worked with Police to practice a joint response to a search and rescue operation over a 200-square-kilometre remote area in the national park,” Commissioner York said.

“We also provided communications equipment, including our Cell on Wheel vehicles, which significantly enhance radio communications in remote areas, such as Kosciusko National Park,” she said.

Commissioner York added that bush and alpine search and rescue is just one of the things that NSW SES volunteers do on top of responding to storms, floods, and tsunamis.

“We are always ready and willing to support our partner agencies, including NSW Police, just as we know they will support us,” she said.

NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton said this exercise was a great opportunity to practice search capabilities with emergency partners in a remote alpine environment.

“Officers from Police Rescue and our Alpine Operations teams always look forward to seeing the capability of the NSW SES, and other agencies, as well as contributing their own unique skills,” he said.

“This exercise will enhance our joint response to emergencies and allow us to better serve the community.”

A NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue (BSAR) team scales the Jagungal Wilderness Area in Kosciuszko National Park as part of the multi-agency exercise on the weekend.