Australasian Rescue Challenge comes to Tamworth - Tamworth
Published: 19 Jul 2022 02:48pm
Eighty used cars will be crushed and cut open in Tamworth on 21-24 July – all in the name of reducing deaths on Australian roads.
Crews from Australia and New Zealand will spend three days cutting ‘victims’ from the wrecks as part of the 2022 Australasian Rescue Challenge.
Staged at Tamworth Regional Events and Conference Centre (TRECC), the Challenge is designed to replicate road crash rescue scenarios and enable emergency crews to hone their lifesaving skills.
The event is being coordinated by the Australasian Road Rescue Organisation (ARRO) and jointly hosted by Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and NSW State Emergency Service (SES).
More than 16 teams will face realistic rescue scenarios and use state-of-the-art rescue equipment to demonstrate a range of techniques to extricate victims from wrecked cars.
FRNSW and NSW SES crews from the Hunter Valley, Hawkesbury, Port Macquarie, Wollongong and Ulladulla will compete against crack interstate and overseas crews from the ACT, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and New Zealand.
FRNSW Commissioner Paul Baxter said the Challenge would also bring together manufacturers and experts from all over the world to further enhance the capability of rescue services.
“Emergency services work with the motor vehicle industry to ensure rescue techniques and equipment keeps pace with developments in vehicle manufacture,” Commissioner Baxter said.
“Of course, our goal is to prevent motor vehicle crashes from occurring in the first place, but in the event that they do our rescue operators will be prepared for anything.”
NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York said emergency services members save lives and prepare communities for disasters on a daily basis.
"Our members are often called upon to help their communities in various ways during times of need,” Commissioner York said.
"Challenges like this help keep our skills sharp, so that we can continue to save lives and create safer communities.”
People are invited to come and watch crews in action at the Australasian Rescue Challenge at Tamworth Regional Events and Conference Centre from 22 - 24 July. Entry is free.
MEDIA CONTACT: Supt Tom Cooper 0400 440 100
Updated: 30 Jan 2023 09:14pm
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Stations nearby
103 Carthage Street, Tamworth NSW 2340
9-11 The Ringers Road, Hillvue NSW 2340
11 Coronation Ave, Werris Creek NSW 2341