Busy January for Salvos emergency services crews in WA
BY ANTHONY CASTLE
The Salvation Army WA Emergency Services fed large numbers of emergency services personnel at the Gingin complex fires, north-west of Perth, in mid-January.
Perth experienced scorching summer temperatures across the week, with 6000 hectares burned just 85kms north of the city. Emergency services crews worked to consolidate containment lines and keep the local community safe.
“This season, we have experienced more larger fires than we have seen in previous seasons,” said Benjamin Day, Emergency Services State Coordinator WA. “These bushfires are growing fast, resulting in significant resources being deployed to control these fires. Our services have been stretched on a number of occasions, and we have at times experienced shortages of volunteers.”
The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) were dispatched to multiple sites in early January, supporting incidents in Oldbury, Champion Lakes, Chittering, Bindoon and Gingin (also aiding in the search for a missing person in the Perth suburb of Mundaring).
After supporting responders, SAES crews stand down, and volunteers clean and restock for future call-outs.
“We have been provided with support from our eastern states’ teams also, which has been a tremendous support,” Benjamin explains. “We still have a long way to go this season, so we will continue to call for volunteers as the need arises. We would encourage anyone thinking of volunteering to please get in touch.”
To volunteer email volunteeringwa@salvationarmy.org.au, or go to https://my.salvos.org.au/salvatio.../volunteer-with-seanddm/
