Dora Creek Rural Fire Brigade to host information night on June 14

The volunteers from organisations such as the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) who, in times of emergency, leave their homes and workplaces to help their communities.

When a bushfire bears down on our neighbourhood, or when storms or floods damage our homes, we just assume they’ll turn up to help.

It’s a comfort that members of the Dora Creek RFS take pride in providing.

But their emergency response doesn’t just happen. As their community grows, they become increasingly reliant on more volunteers joining their ranks.

It’s why the Dora Creek brigade will host an information night for prospective members on Tuesday night, June 14.

Deputy captain Lee Wills said the brigade had 15 active members, but would like 30 to 40.

“We’re one of the busiest brigades in Lake Macquarie and cover a large area including the M1 Pacific Motorway and a lot of arterial roads,” Mr Wills said.

Apart from fighting bushfires, the brigade regularly attends motor vehicle accidents, oil spills, structure fires, and hazard reduction burns, as well as assisting the NSW Ambulance Service and State Emergency Services (SES) especially during storms and floods.

“We’re not struggling, but it would be nice to have a few more new recruits to come in to provide some relief for our existing brigade members,” Mr Wills said.

“We’re looking for people who want to support and protect their community, to negate damage and restore normality.”

Volunteers aged 16 and older are urged to attend the information night and consider joining the brigade.

“We’re primarily looking for people to assist with our firefighting work, but there are also some smaller support roles we could use some help with,” he said.

Residents are invited to attend the information night at the brigade headquarters, at the corner of Newport and Coorumbung roads, anytime from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday.