NSW SES members will this weekend be putting their skills and fitness to the test at the Oxfam Trailwalker event in Sydney.
Members of the Ku-Ring-Gai Unit have formed a team to tackle the 100-kilometre route, and our Bush Search and Rescue (BSAR) Unit will once again provide remote area safety response teams for the wellbeing of all participants.
For more than 20 years, our BSAR members have been attending the Trailwalker event as first responders assisting injured, distressed or lost walkers. They also complete any necessary work on the track, such as fixing markers or checking track conditions during the event.
They are supported by members from Hornsby, Ku-Ring-Gai and Metro Zone Operational Support units.
BSAR Team Leader Glenn Strkalj said members would be available to respond to incidents for the full 40-hour duration of the event.
“The multi-unit and multi-agency approach for this event provides an excellent framework for real-time emergency operations,” Mr Strkalj said.
“BSAR was selected for this role because of its expertise in providing first aid and carrying out rescues in difficult terrain.
“Many sections of the event route are only accessible by foot on rough tracks. This is the sort of terrain were the skills, fitness and experience of BSAR are well suited.
Some of the incidents BSAR members have responded to at previous Trailwalker events include; bones, sprains, dehydration, hyponatremia, exhaustion, lost walkers and falls.
Meanwhile, NSW SES Ku-Ring-Gai Unit volunteer and Trailwalker team member Brian Farmer said his team was looking forward to the event and hoped to complete the 100-kilometre route in under 24 hours.
“I know what is involved because I’ve done it before, but we’re all fired up and we’ve been training for it,” Mr Farmer said.
“While we would like to finish it in under 24 hours, ultimately the goal is for us to finish together as a team.
Mr Farmer said while he couldn’t forget how hard the trek was, he had never felt as much community spirit and support.
“It’s one thing to walk the 100 kilometres, but to have the support team meet you at checkpoints with hot soup and cheer you up, it’s just amazing,” he said.
The Ku-Ring-Gai unit team is made up of; Brian Farmer, Mark Lawton, Kevin Wun, Matt McLarty, Steven Evans, Richard Groves, Roy Brown, Greg Rappo, Shirley Yang and Ken Strupitis-Haddrick.
