The first deployment of NSW firefighting specialists will depart Sydney today in response to a request for assistance from Canada, which is again battling severe summer wildfires.
To help fight more than 650 wildfires, which have already burnt more than 1.5 million hectares of land, 31 NSW personnel will travel to Canada as part of a 116-strong Australian-New Zealand contingent.
A team of 20 Rural Fire Service (RFS) members, as well as five personnel from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, four from Forestry Corporation NSW and two from the NSW State Emergency Service, will be part of two deployments leaving this morning and on Sunday.
The firefighting personnel will be on the ground for more than a month to assist their counterparts in Alberta and British Columbia, who have been working for weeks without rest.
The NSW contingent includes air attack supervisors, incident managers, fire behaviour analysts and heavy machinery managers, and will remain in Canada for up to five weeks.
The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council's National Resource Sharing Centre is facilitating the deployment of the Australian and New Zealand personnel and resources, following a formal request for assistance from Canada's Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe said:
"We wish our National Parks and Wildlife Service specialist firefighters safe travels as they head off to join the international effort to bring the Canadian wildfires under control."
"The request for our National Parks fire fighters is a testament to the professionalism of the team, who are specially trained remote area firefighters and incident managers."
"This is an important opportunity to exchange skills and knowledge and thank them for their efforts."
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:
"Our thoughts are with the people of Canada and their communities affected by these fires."
"In NSW, we are keenly aware of the destructive nature of bush fires, and we stand ready to support Canada in its time of need."
"Our skilled and experienced firefighting personnel will provide their international colleagues with much-needed relief and support."
"I'd like to thank this team for answering the call and wish all our people well on their travels. We look forward to their safe return."
Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:
"My thoughts and best wishes are with the Australian firefighters heading to Canada and those Canadians already on the fire front."
"I'm pleased that our firefighting agencies in NSW, including Forestry Corporation, can work collaboratively locally and assist their counterparts in Canada."
"Fire really is a universal issue and the skills we have here in Australia for fighting forest fires can be transferred through these overseas deployments."
Acting Commissioner of the RFS Kyle Stewart APM said:
"NSW emergency services have a proud history of supporting their international colleagues, joining multiple deployments overseas, including to Canada, over the past two decades.
"These specialist personnel are repaying Canada for the support it has generously provided when we have called on its firefighters for help. It is testament to the expertise and professionalism of our members.
"The RFS is also currently supporting US fire operations, with our 737 Large Air Tanker, 'Marie Bashir' on deployment to California since June."
