A RECENT $4590 grant from NRMA has enabled Nerrigundah Rural Fire Brigade to purchase a 12-volt Retractable Hose Reel for their Category 9 Fire Truck.
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Brigade secretary Laurie Edebohls said Nerrigundah's location and its steep terrain meant much time and effort is expended manually winding hose reels whilst the vehicle is stopped on steep fire trails.
“As fires generally happen in hot weather this further increases the energy required to operate on a fire ground for periods of up to twelve hours,” he said.
“One way energy expenditure can be reduced is to automate the hose reel winding process. This is particularly important for Nerrigundah brigade as the most likely members to be available at short notice are the more senior members.”
The hose reel is powered from the truck battery and operates either from a button on the rear of the truck or from a hand-held remote.
A moving arm ensures the hose rewinds evenly eliminating the need for the operator to guide the hose on to the reel. A manual hand winder is provided in case the unit fails.
Nerrigundah brigade thanks NRMA for their generous support that will greatly assist with fire response and hazard reduction activities for the area, Laurie said.
The NRMA says Nerrigundah Rural Fire Brigade’s 'Life Made Easier' Project will enable the Brigade to carry out their incident response role more safely and effectively by reducing fatigue of volunteers. The electric hose reel will improve the rate of response for fire fighters.
Lee McDougall, NRMA Insurance Community and Sustainability Operations Manager said: “Every day, in every community, people dedicate their time and energy to making their community safer, more sustainable and better prepared to respond to emergencies and natural disasters. The Community Grants program was designed to support this.
“We have had a fantastic response this year from community groups and were impressed with the great work Nerrigundah Rural Fire Brigade are doing. We are excited to see how the Community Grant will support their project and the Nerrigundah community,” Ms McDougall said.
Mr Andrew Constance MP, Member for Bega welcomed the announcement.
“Congratulations to Nerrigundah Rural Fire Brigade for identifying a matter of community importance and taking positive action.
“The NRMA Insurance Community Grants program is helping to make a difference in our community,” said Mr Constance.
This year across New South Wales, 92 organisations received a Community Grant, with NRMA Insurance investing around $389,000 into local initiatives. Since the program’s inception in 2003, over 1,550 projects have been supported nationally totalling an investment of more than $6.6 million in local communities.
The NRMA Insurance Community Grants program supports local organisations and projects working in the areas of crime prevention, road safety, emergency readiness and response, and the environment.
Get information about the NRMA Insurance Community Grants program at the local NRMA Insurance office or visit www.communitygrantsprogram.com.au