Firefighters put to the test this weekend during regional championships - Swansea
Published: 15 Mar 2023 10:03am
Some of the state’s elite Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters will be ‘put under the pump’ this weekend when they compete in the first round of the 2023 Firefighting Championships at Swansea in the Lake Macquarie area.
Eleven fire stations are fielding 14 teams in a bid to claim the title of ‘Regional Champions’ when they show off their skills on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 March at Quinn Park.
The crews will compete in a range of diverse events including the ‘Booster Valve and High Rise Bag’; ‘Urban Pump Collector and Ladder’; the ‘Urban Disabled Pump’ challenge and ‘Hose, Hydrant and Extinguisher’ assembly.
The northern Regional Championships, hosted by Wangi Wangi Fire Station, will be followed up by a southern competition in August and two more opportunities next year before a host of teams ultimately compete in the State Championships in October 2024.
This weekend’s competitors are: 202 Station Abermain 270 Station Cowra 280 Station Dubbo 498 Station Holmesville 349 Station Kurri Kurri (two teams) 450 Station Saratoga 465 Station Trangie 477 Station Ulladulla 485 Station Wangi Wangi (two teams) 505 Station Wyong (two teams) 459 Station Terrigal
Wyong Fire Station has been the state champion station since 2018 and has been training extensively for this weekend’s events.
“They’re (the regional competitions) really, for us, about fine-tuning our performance and obviously we really want to win the regional events as well,” Wyong Captain Jamie Loader said.
“We’re a pretty competitive station, we want to win everything we do, so…they’re just as important but the state championship is really what we’re about,” Captain Loader added.
The honed skills mean when it comes to emergencies, the fire crews are especially “Prepared for Anything.’
“We’re ready to not only serve our community but also ready to compete at the ‘state.’”
The championships first began in 1932 in New South Wales, helping firefighters to maintain their specialist skills to protect the irreplaceable and generate friendly rivalry among fire stations and emergency services.
The titles can be quite competitive with plenty of ‘banter’ between crews.
“We know we’re only one slip up from catastrophe on the (competition) track, so it’s about staying humble but also reminding everybody what we’re capable of,” Captain Loader said.
To stoke that friendly rivalry, the Wyong crew has let slip that it’s seeking to install a larger trophy cabinet at its Hely Street station.
Media Note: Footage of the reigning station champions training is available at: https://vimeo.com/807383729/411293356b [external link]
Updated: 15 Mar 2023 10:07am
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Stations nearby
10 Lake Road, Swansea NSW 2281
26 Donnelly Road, Arcadia Vale NSW 2283
635 Pacific Highway, Belmont NSW 2280