When the call went out for emergency services to help with major flooding in northern New South Wales, there was a big response from multiple Victorian agencies willing to come together and provide support to those who needed it the most.
A total of 50 members from Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES), Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) and Country Fire Authority (CFA) were deployed over the past weeks to support NSW emergency services and impacted communities.
Teams were based throughout the Northern Rivers in towns such as Wollongong, Metford, Kempsey and Taree.
Working alongside NSW counterparts, Victorian volunteers and staff undertook roles in swift water rescue, incident management and community liaison to support the response.
The deployment demonstrated the incredible commitment of Victoria's emergency services to support not just their local community – but interstate communities too.
VICSES Deputy Chief Officer David Baker led the deployment and praised the efforts of all involved.
“It’s been my privilege to lead a multi-agency contingent of Victorian emergency service members to assist our cousins in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales,” he said.
“They’ve done us proud. That’s what our ethos is all about - Australians helping Australians during times of crisis.”
Among those deployed was Melanie Gill from VICSES. Melanie led a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) taskforce, comprised of 11 CFA and VICSES volunteers and staff. The taskforce worked together with Australian Red Cross members and NSW Rural Fire Service CLOs, to ensure a unified approach to assist affected communities.
“What was really great about this deployment was how we linked multiple agencies together. In our team, we even had a Red Cross volunteer embedded, which allowed us to provide holistic support to those who needed it,” Melanie said.
The taskforce assisted with recovery efforts by visiting community members to ensure they had access to essential services and recovery information. The team also escalated any concerns and linked community members up to services as needed.
“We witnessed great community spirit. People coming together, not just for their own communities, but for others as well,” Melanie said.
The deployment also marked a valuable learning experience. Matthew Lamont from CFA was deployed as an Intelligence Officer in the Newcastle area.
“Flying into flood-affected areas was a very different experience compared to the fires we’ve seen over the summer of 2024–25,” he said.
“There were lots of lessons learned, especially around the damage assessment process.”
FRV’s Bruce Gee was deployed as a Deputy Controller and commended the teamwork between personnel involved in the response.
“It was a big group from different agencies all coming together and fulfilling critical roles on the ground,” he said.
"We're thankful for the opportunity to contribute, and proud of the impact we made during this deployment."
