Twenty-six teams are set to represent Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) at the 2024 State Firefighter Championships at Wagga Wagga on Thursday.
Held every two years, the State Firefighter Championships give firefighters the opportunity to showcase their capabilities in a competitive environment as well as learn new skills to take back to their local communities. This event sees the State Firefighter Championships return to its origins, with Wagga Wagga hosting the first ‘State Demos’, as they were initially known, in 1932.
Firefighters put their stamina
The event is set to culminate with a community engagement evening on Friday at Wagga Beach
Wagga Wagga also hosted the Championships in 1962 and now in 2024. With events such as “rescue”, “booster valve”, “ladder” and ”high-rise bag”, firefighters put their stamina, attention to detail and cooperation to the test.
Junee, Temora, Turvey Park, and Wagga Wagga will each be fielding teams in a bid to bring glory to the hosting town. The event is set to culminate with a community engagement evening on Friday at Wagga Beach Riverside Precinct.
Special performance from the FRNSW Band
From 5.00 pm onwards, the public is invited to a special performance from the FRNSW Band, a torchlight procession and spectacular fireworks display at 8.15 pm. FRNSW Acting Assistant Commissioner, Gary Barber, said the event is shaping up to be one to remember.
"The State Firefighter Championships unite firefighters from across the state and beyond, and teams this year are coming from far and wide to compete," said Acting Assistant Commissioner - Gary Barber.
Beneficial to firefighters
Gary Barber added: "This event is hugely beneficial to our firefighters, but ultimately, it’s our individual communities who benefit the most. Our people take learnings, skills and stronger relationships back to their station, and apply them in incidents such as structure fires and rescue incidents."
He continues, "We’re pleased to have such broad representation competing at this event, with teams from the Central Coast and Victorian border traveling great distances to compete. We also have a growing contingent of female competitors, with two all-female teams from Culcairn and Ulladulla competing this weekend."
Gary Barber further states, "It’s great to see more women competing and getting involved, both at the Championships and within our organization more broadly."
on-call firefighter
Gary Barber adds, "Fire doesn’t discriminate, and neither do we. We encourage anyone interested in a career as an on-call firefighter to come down this weekend for a chat with our people, or reach out to their local fire station for more information."
The competing teams are: Cowra, Culcairn, Echuca (FRV), Goulburn, Griffith, Junee, Kelso, Kootingal (RFS), Kurri Kurri, Kyneton (CFA), Morisset, Region South, Rutherglen (CFA), Temora, Trangie, Turvey Park, Ulladulla, Wagga Wagga, Wangi Wangi, Wellington, Wyong.
