NSW SES - Harden Unit

28/05/2026

Our friends at Harden Fire and Rescue are currently recruiting. These amazing people work closely with us on many incidents. If you don't see yourself in orange, perhaps you might like to become an on-call firefighter instead.

🚒 HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING FOR A SIGN? 👀🔥

Well… here it is 😅

Harden 389 is currently recruiting retained firefighters and we’re looking for people from our local community to join the crew.

👨‍🚒 Full training provided
🔥 Real-life emergency response skills
🤝 Supportive team environment
🚒 Make a genuine difference in your community

You don’t need previous experience, just commitment, reliability, and the willingness to step up when your community needs you.

Maybe it’s time to give it a go.

27/05/2026

🚨 Week 4 of the NSW SES Youth Internship: Multi-Agency Takeover! 🚨

Our interns had a massive week learning about how different emergency services work together to keep our communities safe. We were thrilled to be joined by both NSW Police Force The Hume Police District and VRA Rescue NSW Binalong Rescue Squad - VRA Rescue NSW !

👮‍♂️ Local Policing & Emergency Management

Senior Constable Merrett from Boorowa Police stepped in as our local Deputy LEOCON (Local Emergency Operations Controller). He gave our interns an inside look at:

🔹 The critical role Police play as a lead combat agency in emergency management.

🔹 The day-to-day operations of policing in our local community.

🔹 The NSW Police recruitment process and essential entry requirements.

🔹 Bonus: The interns got a hands-on look at some of the specialized equipment and vehicles local police utilize!

🚒 Road Crash Rescue & Volunteering with VRA

Ben and Adrian from the VRA NSW Binalong Unit then took the reins to showcase the vital role they play in supporting combat agencies and responding to road crash rescue incidents. The interns learned about:

✅ The diverse volunteer opportunities available within the VRA.

✅ The incredible gear carried on the Binalong Squad’s Rescue Truck.

✅ Highlight of the day: Getting some hands-on experience with the hydraulic cutters and spreaders!

A huge thank you to Senior Constable Merrett, Ben, and Adrian for giving up their time to present, inspire, and raise awareness about the amazing local career and volunteer opportunities available to our youth.

26/05/2026

📊 STRONGER TOGETHER: SES Training Night in Harden! 🛑

On Monday, we were thrilled to host Peter and Melissa from the NSW SES Headquarters GIS and Intelligence Unit. Members from the NSW SES Cootamundra and NSW SES Young Unit travelled over to join our local crew for some vital hands-on training in field data collection tools.

Peter and Melissa stepped us through the cutting-edge tools used for:

🔹Initial Damage Assessments

🔸Door Knocking & Evacuations

🔹Intelligence Gathering

🔸Land Searches

These tools are a game-changer, allowing volunteers to map critical data and upload live information and photos straight from the field.

🛸 Tech Upgrades on the Horizon
We also got a firsthand look at the new small drones that will soon be available to units to assist with incident assessments and intelligence gathering. Plus, we checked out a new portable Starlink system, designed to be quickly deployed to disaster areas to instantly boost internet connectivity for both emergency responders and the public.

A massive thank you to Peter and Melissa for making the trip to Harden to share their expertise. Thanks also to the Cootamundra and Young units for travelling across to train alongside our members. When disaster strikes, teamwork and technology keep our communities safe! 🤝💻

20/05/2026

🚨 Week 3: Harden SES Youth Internship 2026! 🚨

We’ve officially hit the halfway point in the program, and this week our interns were back to focusing on core NSW State Emergency Service skills! We kicked off the evening with a team-building exercise to get everyone thinking and working together. 🤝

From there, we packed the night with hands-on training:

📻 Radio Communications: Learning the ropes, followed by practical lessons.

🧭 Navigation: Mastering the basics of map reading and compass use.

🔦 Land Search Techniques: Learning how to effectively cover ground.

We brought all of this together at the end of the evening with a practical, scenario-based exercise. The interns had an absolute blast getting out there, searching for each other, and putting their new skills to the test! 👏🧡

13/05/2026

A massive thank you to Jack and Bodie from the NSW Ambulance Harden Station for joining us for Week 2 of our Youth Internship! 🚑🟧

​Our interns dove deep into the essentials of first aid, mastering the DRSABCD, patient assessment, and care techniques. They also got hands-on experience with:

​✅ CPR & AED operation
​✅ Patient movement
​✅ Snakebite treatment

​The highlight was definitely the tour of the ambulance—getting a behind-the-scenes look at the tech and gear that saves lives every day. We are so lucky to have such supportive local ambos helping to train our next generation of volunteers!

​

06/05/2026

Harden SES Youth Internship - 2026

🚀 We’ve officially kicked off the Harden SES 2026 Youth Internship!

Last night, we welcomed our newest group of interns and introduced them to the vital role of the NSW SES in our community, exploring the different ways volunteers can get involved.

Safety always comes first, so we stepped the team through essential Work, Health, and Safety (WHS) practices, including IMSAFER and Take 5 Assessments. After the theory, it was time for action! The interns put their new skills to the test in a practical scenario and finished the night learning some essential knot-tying techniques. 🪢

We have 6 more sessions to go and we can't wait to continue this journey with such an enthusiastic group of young people! 🧡

21/03/2026

Who Let the Boats out????

Today Harden members are on the Shoalhaven River practicing boat skills in NSW SES's largest flood boat exercise called "Who Let The Boats Out"

What a great way to spend the weekend on the water practicing our flood boat operation skills!!

19/03/2026

Are you, or do you know someone who is 15 or 16 years old?

Harden SES are hosting a Youth internship program in term 2 which runs over 7 evenings.

This highly engaging program allows young people to:
👍 Experience various roles within a volunteer emergency service,
👮 Learn about different emergency services within our community,
👌 Enhance team work and leadership skills,
🚒 Learn what to do in an emergency.

Join us for the NSW SES Youth Internship Information Session at Harden Unit! 🚨
📍 NSW SES Harden Unit - 83-85 Neill Street
📅 24 March
⏰ 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Meet our passionate volunteers, discover how you can get involved, and learn all about the Youth Internship program.

✅ Open to young people who want to help others and be part of an amazing team
✅ Parents and carers welcome!

Places are limited for the program.

13/02/2026

10/02/2026

Today marks 1 year since the Harden Hail Storm.

At 4:11am we received our first call for assistance to a house in Boorowa with hail damage. This was the first of 223 calls for help which we received. It was the biggest event which Harden SES has ever experienced and almost as big as the previous 5 years worth of calls combined. Whilst most of our calls for assistance were from hail damage, We also had flooding and a flood rescue thrown in the mix too. Volunteers attended all 223 calls.

Together, as a community we banded together to help out, whether it was friends helping friends, neighbors helping neighbors, people asking us how they could help out, or people simply being patient whilst we worked through the many jobs, the resilience of our community made our job so much easier.

Thankyou to the other agencies who helped us out, and Thankyou to SES volunteers who travelled from as far as Bega to help out.

For some in our community, the event and it's aftermath is still raw - If the event is still impacting you, there is help available - Lifeline can be contacted on 13 11 14.

We hope that we never have to face a similar disaster in Harden again, but if we do we want to ensure we are the best we can be - You can make that difference by volunteering with us.