Emergency service crews will be better prepared for mass fish deaths, casualty events and agricultural rescues as part of a training program designed to improve disaster responses.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The training package has been allocated $250,000 in funding by the NSW government and will be delivered to crews across the state with 14 exercises simulating different scenarios.
Exercises will include urban and marine search and rescue as well as training related to mass fish deaths, dam failures, flood rescue and mass casualties.
The training will test the state's updated emergency management plan which sets out governance and coordination arrangements, as well as roles and responsibilities of different agencies.
In recent years, NSW has faced multiple natural disasters including flooding and bushfires.
This week marks two years since unprecedented floods devastated the NSW Northern Rivers, killing five people and leaving thousands homeless.
In the state's Darling River, the risk of further mass fish deaths remains high because of the drying climate.
Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said while accidents and disasters were a part of life, the way the state could prepare and respond must evolve.
"The NSW government is committed to learning from past accidents and disasters, and we will keep looking at ways we can do this to make NSW a safer and more resilient place to live," he said.
"These exercises will build on training programs already in place and are designed to test our emergency services in realistic scenarios."
Australian Associated Press
