Walcha, Manilla, Werris Creek, and Warialda fire stations among those in need of upgrade: Fire Brigade Employees Union

Issues included inadequate decontamination facilities, asbestos, black mould, diesel emission contamination, and PPE stored in contaminated areas.

The six stations most in need of upgrades are Walcha, Manilla, Wee Waa, Guyra, Uralla, and Werris Creek, the union said.

These stations are not suitable for modern firefighting, country sub-branch union representative Tim Anderson said.

"If you've got male and female firefighters, how do they share the single facilities?" he said.

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Firefighting was declared a cancer-causing profession in 2022 by the World Health Organisation, and firefighters have a rule to 'shower within the hour'.

One firefighter, who spoke to the Leader on the condition of anonymity, said getting the eight firefighters retained at his station to shower within an hour is "difficult".

But, the biggest issue is keeping clean areas separate from those where chemicals enter.

When they return from a fire, they hang their protective clothing in the same area the truck is stored, and walk through the training room and office, he said.

"So in terms of possible contamination, well, you're basically tracking yourself dirty through all those areas, which are common areas, before you can actually get a shower," he said.

He said within Fire and Rescue in country areas, there's an attitude of accepting things the way they are.

"But unfortunately, that's got to change," he said.

"Being a smaller country town, I think people generally accept things for what they are more so than they do in the larger centres.

"Why I continue to do it, is, obviously, we're there to serve our community, and that's the whole reason we joined Fire and Rescue."

An audit at the end of 2022 by the union found amenities for female firefighters would cost between $700 and $800 million.

The union is calling on all political parties in the state election to fund emergency services.

Fire and Rescue NSW is working to build additional toilets, change rooms, and showers, as well as refurbish and upgrade stations to minimise risk to firefighters, and improve safety and wellbeing, regional operations acting assistant commissioner Steve Hirst said.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall did not respond to requests for comment.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson is campaigning to get the emergency services minister to inspect Manilla and Werris Creek stations, which he said are in need of an upgrade.

Liverpool Plains Shire mayor Doug Hawkins told the Leader Werris Creek station is in need of repairs from bits of iron that fell off during a storm months ago, and a contractor has been employed.

"If we get the funding, we'll do a bit more work," he said.

"We rely on funding for everything.

"In the scope of things, the building has not fallen down, and we have got a lot on our plate with a small workforce that we've got."

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