Salamander Bay fire station would be manned permanently and open around the clock under a Labor state government, the NSW Opposition has pledged.
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NSW Shadow Emergency Services Minister Guy Zangari made the announcement with Port Stephens MP Kate Washington on Friday.
They said the first 16 of a promised 200 new firefighters statewide would be posted to the Tomaree station, allowing it to operate longer.
The station has a mixed model of on-duty firefighters and on-call retained firefighters.
It is staffed by full-time firefighters from 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. During the remaining hours of the weekdays and all weekends, emergencies are responded to by retained (part-time) firefighters who receive a pager or call.
“I’ve spoken with local firefighters, and I’ve spoken with local residents and businesses, and they’re all keen to see this station manned 24/7,” Ms Washington said.
“Our communities have seen these firefighters in action in recent months and know how important these extra firefighters will be to keep everyone safe into the future.”
The pledge comes six months after Corlette resident Geoff Zipper, a retired firefighter with close to 40 years experience with Fire and Rescue NSW, called on the organisation to permanently man the station.
Mr Zipper said that a combination of only one main road in and out of the Bay, an increase in multi-storey developments, a growing aged care sector and the fact that NSWFR is often the first respondents to other emergencies such as car accidents has created a risky situation that calls for immediate action.
Ms Washington and the Fire Brigade Employees Union echoed these concerns.
However, Fire and Rescue NSW Assistant Commissioner for Metropolitan Operations, Paul McGuiggan, responded by saying that the operational requirements of the Salamander Bay station were continually reviewed to ensure the ‘community’s needs were being met’.
“The station is staffed by a station officer and firefighters from 8am-4.30pm, Monday-Friday, and a Captain and 17 retained firefighters are on call to respond to emergencies 24/7,” Assistant Commissioner McGuiggan said.
“Firefighters at Salamander Bay are supported by a network of 15 FRNSW fire stations in the Lower Hunter Region. This local network is also part of a larger network of FRNSW and NSW Rural Fire Service resources in the Newcastle area.
“FRNSW takes into account a number of risk factors when rating a station’s staffing capacity including (but not limited to) population growth, socio-economics, transient population, property density, infrastructure and the number of hazards in the area.
“Under the current rating, the staffing structure at Salamander Bay is sufficient to meet the community’s needs.”
