Fire and Rescue NSW continues to support SES operations in the northern flood zones - Taree/Kempsey
Published: 24 May 2025 05:03pm
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews continue to assist the State Emergency Service with flood operations on the state’s north and mid-north coasts.
FRNSW crews joined other emergency services last night, carrying out a number of rescues during the SES-led response.
At Taree, 10 local firefighters joined SES and Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) crews in evacuating 70 seniors from a flooded over-55’s retirement village.
The residents were safely relocated to a nearby nursing home.
In another case, a FRNSW In-water crew paddled around four kilometres to reach a man, aged in his 60’s suffering hypothermia, a 32-year-old woman, and their six dogs, trapped on a property near Kempsey.
Another FRNSW crew has reached a couple and a puppy stranded for three days without food and water, at a flooded Kempsey caravan park.
As the firefighters passed a local hotel, they extracted a third person, seeking a move to dry ground.
As emergency services turn to resupplying isolated residents with food and medical supplies, FRNSW’s Aviation unit is assisting by using its Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) or drones to conduct welfare checks.
FRNSW has positioned a ‘hytrans’ bulk water transfer unit in the main street of Kempsey.
That FRNSW crew is pumping five-thousand litres a minute from the flooded street back into the Macleay River.
A few streets away, a FRNSW Strike Team from the state’s Central West has been hosing down the silt-covered car park of a shopping centre.
Media note – Footage of the various FRNSW operations is available here: https://vimeo.com/1087284441/30d9647951?share=copy [external link]
Updated: 24 May 2025 03:08pm
Related safety topics
The leading cause of home fires in NSW is leaving cooking unattended.
It“s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
The best way to keep you and your family safe is to prevent fires from occurring and know what to do in case of a fire.
Details about this incident may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice.
For all life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)
For flood information, warnings or requests for non-life threatening assistance, call the SES on 132 500 or visit the NSW State Emergency Service website here. [external link].
For information directly relating to bushfires please call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service Website here. [external link]