By Pam Kiriakidis
Community and emergency service leaders from across Mitchell Shire bonded at a road crash rescue demonstration that took place at Victoria State Emergency Service, VICSES, Kilmore Unit last Tuesday night.
Unit controller John Koutras and a team of volunteers displayed several skills throughout the night, using specialised equipment relating to flood rescue, storm response and land search and rescue operations.
The main feature was a road crash rescue demonstration that saw SES volunteers breaking doors and windows to remove one side of a vehicle.
Mr Koutras said the presentation was to strengthen partnerships between emergency service groups, as well as organisations that support them, including local and state government.
“[It’s] to give them an understanding of what our capabilities are. Our members are highly skilled – they go off and do training, whether it’s first aid, road crash rescue, domestic rescue, [or] removing rings from people,” he said.
“This is about creating bonds in our emergency services and with council as well, and that’s why we invited the councillors to see what we do when it comes to an emergency … and also talk a little about the future of Kilmore.”
VISCES Kilmore responds to between 350 and 550 incidents per year, and during larger emergencies works alongside other services such as the Country Fire Authority, CFA, Victoria Police, and paramedics.
Forest Fire Management, FFM, community partnerships support officer Jono Dowse, who oversees the Murrindindi district, said his team had previously worked with Kilmore SES.
“Our first exposure with Kilmore SES was during the flood situation … we got to fly down there and we helped the crews doing chainsaw work on fallen trees, and we helped out with sandbags,” he said.
While Mr Dowse attended the demonstration as an FFM volunteer, he said he had also come as a local to understand the work of SES and to create further connections.
“The thing I find is best is a face to a name if you do see them out at an emergency event,” he said.
“Community is at the forefront of every organisation, so [I came] as FFM. [It is important to have] that rapport with people around and seeing what they’re capable of, and then knowing what we’re capable of.”
CFA Wallan member Stephanie Calderwood, who has been an active fire fighter since 2017, said she was grateful for an evening that presented skills that differed from CFA.
“We need to communicate with them during any event that involves the SES. When we had the floods last year, we were supporting SES, so [it’s important] for SES to know that CFA has Kilmore station support, and vice versa,” she said.
“We don’t have a lot of outside things when we come together, but events like this are really good because we can all come and support each other.”
