RFS offers career pathways for indigenous people

Jesse Scott and Burra McHughes from the RFS Mitigation Team in Bourke and Brewarrina, with Gavin Gibbs of REDIE, Andrew Bell, Tori Towney, Kynia Knight (REDIE), and Deanna Faulks and Matt McKean from the RFS North Western Area Command at Tamworth. PHOTO TWH

Indigenous people in Bourke and Brewarrina are being urged to consider joining the Rural Fire Service, with applications now open for the Indigenous Mitigation Teams in Bourke, Brewarrina, and Moree.

Burra McHughes is crew leader of the program with Brewarrina and Bourke – the first towns in NSW to have Indigenous State Mitigation crews.

Burra said the role of First Nations crews was not just fighting fires, but protecting sacred sites, caring for country, and fighting remote fires.

A workshop was held at the Bourke PCYC recently, where applicants were given an overview of the role they could play in protecting their country and community, while also gaining valuable skills and opening up employment opportunities.

“The RFS Indigenous Mitigation teams play an important role protecting our villages from fire, in asset protection, cutting fire trails, protecting the community from bushfire hazards and also more than that – we have been called on to help out with the COVID situation and with the floods,” Mr McHughes said. {…}

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