Following his experiences during the Blue Mountains fires in October, Chris Garlick, President of the NSW RFS Yarrumundi Brigade, shares his thoughts about community engagement.
“I think now would be an opportune time to highlight to the broader masses how important having those community engagement networks are.
“For example, whilst I was volunteering at my Brigade in Yarramundi, I spent half an hour on the phone to one of my volunteers who was in South America, updating him and making sure his house was prepared. Similarly, I had conversations with another resident whose parents had lost their house in Winmalee and they were staying at their house in Yarramundi whilst there was a threat to this community.
“In contrast, when working in public liaison with some other communities, those networks and ties weren't there and we had to work a bit harder to establish those connections.
“The experience also highlighted to me that the mindset that we are just an emergency service isn't adequate anymore. Our volunteers make up our community, therefore the brigade as an organisation is part of the community.”
What is your experience with community engagement in your local area?
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