Seventeen Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) firefighters have completed their winch reaccreditation training in preparation for the coming fire season.
Our winch capable crews enable the PWS to undertake a rapid response to fires in difficult terrain, where access may be limited by remoteness, dense tall timber or other landscape features.
Parks Minister Roger Jaensch said the training was a refresher for previously accredited winch capable firefighters and covered off on topics such as aircraft and safety, movement around the cabin, hover entry and exit and winch cycling, being both up and down.
"This important training ensures our highly skilled and capable PWS staff are prepared for the upcoming fire season," Minister Jaensch said.
"The winch capable team was initially trained in 2020 and continue to undertake refresher training as part of the Rockliff Liberal Government's $2.1 million commitment over four years to bolster the State's fire response capability."
The PWS also has access to a dedicated winch-capable helicopter over the bushfire season, that can be pre-positioned to areas of greatest risk.
The winch capability project was supported by the Rockliff Liberal Government in response to the recommendations made by the Australian Fire and Emergency Services Authority Council.
The completion of training ensures that the 17 PWS Firefighters remain nationally accredited.
NOTE: Videos and photos from the training are available here.
