Ministers for Agriculture Adam Marshall, and for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott joined personnel from New England RFS to officially open Armidale's new Remote Area Firefighting Team training helicopter winch simulator facility at Armidale Regional Airport on Monday, December 16.
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RFS zone manager for New England Superintendent Steve Mepham welcomed the facility and said it had already been used twice to run training sessions with 16 people per course.
"The number of lifts they do is a phenomenal cost to do under a helicopter, and it's dangerous to do it under a helicopter," he said.
"I guess one of the things that strikes me is the commitment that the people who are going to be winched make.
"Every person who gets on that wire knows that if the helicopter gets into strife, the wire will be cut and they will be sacrificed. It still chokes me up when I think back to the Ambulance officer who paid that price when it had to be done."
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Supt Mepham welcomed the RFS members, the Ministers and Armidale Councillors.
Mayor Simon Murray said the facility was creating an aviation centre at Armidale.
"Having this in addition to the RFS Airbase further strengthens all the aviation activities within the RFS up in this area," he said.
"The other benefit is it is not only going to be here for the RFS. The other emergency services, such as National Parks and the SES to come and train in this facility.
"I think that is a very good opportunity."
Mr Marshall commenced by thanking all RFS volunteers who were on the front line fighting fires, then went on to say that the facility was for today's and tomorrow's firefighters.
"This facility is about a three-quarters of a million dollar investment, which was a great addition to this precinct with the aerial firefighting base we opened a few years ago," he said.
"In fact, unfortunately, I don't think it has had a spell since we opened it. And that space of ground out there, Minister and senior assistant Commissioner, that's ready for our Zone Fire Control Centre to be moved. It's DA approved, we're just waiting on that money to come through.
"Maybe Tamworth's money can come up here again. This facility was originally supposed to be built in Tamworth. So, it's just another thing we have and they don't. It's here because we were ready and they weren't, and that comes down to Steve Mepham and his team and Armidale council."
Mr Marshall said while the general public would probably never fully understand the value of the facility, he knew each and every RFS member would.
Minister Elliott said he wanted to make two points.
"This is proof positive that when people criticise the RFS and the record budget the RFS has got, the don't know what they are talking about," he said.
"Today we've got 104 aviation assets out, including the 737 that we own. But the main assets that we own come from the rotary wing. So, this training is essential.
"You can only imagine how relieved someone would feel seeing that winch coming down if they were in danger. So, having a professionally trained fire service with this sort of training capability is, in my mind, money well spent."
