NSW SES Hurstville Unit

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Peakhurst, NSW
NSW SES Hurstville Unit

The NSW SES (New South Wales State Emergency Service) Hurstville Unit is the local combat agency for floods, storms and tsunami. For help call 132500.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is an emergency, preparedness and response service dedicated to assisting the community of NSW. It is made up almost entirely of volunteers, with 229 units located throughout the state. The units comprise of approximately 10,000 volunteer members, who are easily identified by their distinctive orange overalls. While our core responsibilities are for flood, sto

rm and tsunami operations, the NSW SES also provides support to general rescue efforts in the State. This includes Road Crash Rescue (RCR), Vertical Rescue (VR), Urban Search and Rescue (USR), evidence searches (both metropolitan and rural) and other forms of specialist rescue that may be required due to local threats. Volunteers in a number of isolated communities have also been trained as Community First Responders by the Ambulance Service of New South Wales. The Service's trained rescuers also support the full-time emergency services during major disasters. The NSW SES assists other emergency services when they are performing major operations. These services include the NSW Police Force, the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and the Ambulance Service of NSW. The NSW SES also partners with local communities through Community Engagement programs like FloodSafe, StormSafe and TsunamiSafe. These programs are supported by strategies and resources, are delivered locally through a range of activities and events and are a priority for the NSW SES. The aim is to engage at-risk communities on preparedness, response and recovery measures so that there is no loss of life and impacts caused by these events are minimised. This in turn builds community resilience to floods, storms and tsunami. For further information visit the NSW SES website at http://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/

06/06/2026

🗓️ What a Month! 🗓️

May marks the first month of the year outside of storm season, and it showed this year with not many incidents to report. Hurstville SES volunteers, on the other hand, were busy with training and skills development amongst other activities.

🩸Blood donation - our members rolled up their sleeves to donate more blood and plasma at lifeblood Hurstville.

🥇Flood citations and long service awards - HVL salutes our fellow members who were recently received citations for flood rescue and long service awards.

🪢Field core skills started - the recruits have begun the next phase of being shown the ropes (literally).

⛈️Storm (ground) course finished - our latest wave of Field Operators has arrived!

🛟Flood rescue exercise - members braved the cold and the wet to hone their flood rescue capabilities on the Georges River.

👏 Teamwork and excellent turnout - a big shout out to our team leaders for helping organise weekly skills maintenance and team building exercises.

04/06/2026

🌏 Happy World Environmental Day! 🌏

The environment shapes much of what we do at SES, particularly when things get a little tree-mendously uprooted.

To keep our community safe, SES volunteers often need to use chainsaws to cut and remove trees brought down by severe weather. We do this carefully, and always with respect for the environment around us.

During storm damage operations (particularly when using chainsaws) our members consider the following:
🌱 Protection of flora, fauna and habitat - being mindful to limit environmental trampling, keeping to vehicle and walking tracks
💧 Protecting waterways. Protection of soil and water - being mindful where refueling chainsaws and cleaning up any spills.
♻️ Disposing waste correctly - not leaving any rubbish behind, dispose of chemicals correctly.
🍀 Cultural heritage protection - avoid working in culturally protected areas
🧯 Fire prevention - always have a fire extinguisher nearby.
🌳 Regeneration opportunities - using appropriate cutting techniques to allow tree regrowth and environmental healing processes.

We’re lucky enough to serve in a community surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna. That’s why we take care to protect it wherever we can as we keep people safe.

30/05/2026

Completion of Storm Water Damage Course!

Congratulations to our members on completing the SES Storm and Water Damage Course! Over the past few months the team have learnt about sandbagging, 💧 water diversion, 🌳 tree lashing, setting up the 🪢 height safety system and water pump operations. It was a demanding course that tested teamwork, resilience and practical capability. It certainly wasn’t easy, but everyone pushed through, supported one another and got it done 💪. A fantastic achievement by all involved.

Congratulations to everyone who completed the course over the weekend!

23/05/2026

🛟 Ever wondered what it takes to be SES flood rescue ready? 🛟

When severe weather hits, NSW SES flood rescue operators are ready to respond. But flood rescue isn’t just about boats and sirens - it is a highly technical discipline that requires intensive, ongoing training.

To keep the community safe, our operators must master a challenging mix of hands-on skills and theory, including:

🎯 Throw-bags & reach-and-rescue poles: Fast, land-based techniques to rescue someone without entering the water.

🚣 Boat deployment & tethering: Launching and controlling our rescue vessels in dangerous, fast-flowing currents.

🚑 Casualty rescue & recovery: Safely extracting and treating injured or hypothermic people from water hazards.

👟 Self-rescue & foot entrapment release: Knowing how to free yourself safely if your foot gets trapped under the water.

🦺 Defensive swimming & PFD management: Mastering survival swimming techniques in swift moving water while wearing a Personal Flotation Device.

👁️ Limited-visibility search & rescue: Navigating flooded, debris-filled environments where you cannot see beneath the surface.

This rigorous training ensures our members have the knowledge, teamwork, and confidence to act decisively during real emergencies.

The best rescue, however, is the one we don't have to do. You can support our teams by always remembering: If it's flooded, forget it.

19/05/2026

This week is National Volunteer Week and to recognise your local SES volunteers we celebrate WOW day - Wear 🟠 ORANGE 🟠 Wednesday.

A huge 🧡 THANK YOU 🧡 to all of our members at the NSW SES Hurstville Unit! Your hard work is appreciated and does not go unnoticed.

🔶 Today is the day to give a special thanks to any SES volunteers you know, for the great job they do in the community and all over the State.

18/05/2026

🟠 Wear Orange Wednesday 🟠 is just around the corner!

🔶 Wear Orange on Wednesday May 20th during Volunteer Week to recognise SES volunteers and everything they do for the community! 🧡

17/05/2026

Wear Orange Wednesday almost here. Wear some orange or decorate your workplace in orange to thank the SES Volunteers or just leave a message for them 😀

16/05/2026

✨ Introducing our Unit ✨

Meet Kate, our Operations Centre Coordinator and one of the calm, organising voices behind the scenes at HVL SES.

In 2015, Kate took the leap and joined the SES, and she hasn’t stopped leaping forward since. When she’s not crawling through roof cavities after storm damage, conducting job recces or helping organise training for the entire cluster, you’ll likely find Kate in the Ops room.

When the unit goes operational, and our highly trained ops members rush to the unit, Kate steps in to support operational control and assist with the triaging and tasking of incidents.

“My role requires me to remain calm when chaos ensues. When the weather is haywire, I work to ensure the unit is prepared to tackle all aspects of the jobs.”

Kate is big on helping others and supporting the community, and somehow also finds time to work in healthcare when she’s not wearing orange.

Like others in our unit, some of Kate’s best memories centre around banding together to help the community, with the volunteer response to the 2019 bushfires being a real highlight.

According to Kate, spending more than 10 years in the SES has taken its toll, in the best way, with “everyone becoming my family… a little bit crazy, a little bit loud, but a whole lot of love.”

If you’ve been thinking about joining your local SES unit, Kate has some simple advice: go for it.

“If you don’t think you have any relevant skills, you don’t need them. With patience and time, SES will teach you everything you need to learn and you’ll gain a lot of new friendships while you’re at it.”

Thank you for everything you do for our team and community, Kate!

09/05/2026

Today, we celebrate and thank the incredible mothers, mother figures, and carers who serve our community through the NSW SES.

Whether responding to emergencies, attending training, or supporting operations behind the scenes, these women balance their SES service with the demands of family life, often placing the needs of the community first. Their dedication, resilience, and calm under pressure make a real difference to those we assist and to the teams they serve alongside.

Mothers come in different shapes and sizes and on this Mother’s Day we recognise all mothers; in the sacrifices you make, the strength you show, and the example you set for your families and communities.

Thank you for everything you do, in uniform and at home. Your commitment reflects the true spirit of service.

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Hurstville Unit SES 🧡

Address

2 Depot Road
Peakhurst, NSW
2223

Telephone

+61132500

Website

http://www.facebook.com/HurstvilleNSWSES

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