Harden Fire and Rescue members taking part in one of their regular exercises on Sunday at the Murrimboola footbridge. The crew were called to Murrumburrah under the instructions of Captain Wal Leonow and were confronted with two injured patients. Pictured is Jayson Smith and Doug Baker attending to Matthew Bradford.
The Harden Fire and Rescue NSW crew spent Sunday morning testing out their skills, and ensuring they are best equipped to serve the community. Captain Wal Leonow and his team attended a mock incident in Murrumburrah, where two ‘patients’ found themselves at the bottom of a ravine. One was unconscious with a head injury, while another had a broken leg and neck injury. The patients were packaged, meaning they were strapped and made secure, before being hauled back up using ropes and pulleys. It tested the crew’s abilities in patient care and stabilisation, as well as their use of harnesses and ropes.
“It’s not something we do all the time. But we have used it once in a real live situation, ropes and knots knowledge is very important to continue training,” Wal said. Harden’s Fire Crew is composed of a collective of men, who take time from their days jobs, to ensure the safety of all in our community. Wal Leonow, a farmhand, Doug Baker, a shearer, Robert Scott, an electrician, Thomas Boehm, a carer, Ben Perceval, a farmer, and Jayson Smith, a banker all spend their time guaranteeing our health and safety should the worst occur.
“It’s not a lot of money, but we don’t do it for the money,” Wal said, “It’s really good for mateship, we are all like a small family, we look after each other.” Harden’s Fire and Rescue crew can respond to one or two callouts a week, and up to 80 to 100 a year. They can go months without a callout, before getting four or five in a short amount of time. The local brigade co-ordinate with the RFS on numerous occasions, including house fires, and their volunteers will often assist. They have a great rapport with all emergency services, including ambulance and police.
Our firefighters are to be commended for working under incredibly difficult and arduous conditions, whether it be the heat of a house fire or the cold of winter when responding to an early morning car accident. Our town’s crew benefits from a rehab van, that is useful in severe incidents. It is equipped with special cooling chairs to help firefighters recover form heat exposure, and also has tables, tents, chairs, fuel, sterilisation equipment and an assortment of other assets. It is one of only four in the state. In order to ensure their readiness to respond to whatever call they may receive, the brigade completes drills on the first and third Wednesday of the month.
