International Firefighters Day

THIS week Medowie Rural Fire Brigade held an International Firefighters/ St Florian’s day service.

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Members from Williamtown/Salt Ash Rural Fire Brigade and Fire and Rescue Stockton attended the service to recognise and honour the sacrifices that firefighters across the world make to ensure communities and our environment are as safe as possible.

It’s also a day in which current and past firefighters are thanked for their contributions.

At noon local time on the first Sunday in May each year, fire brigades sound their sirens for thirty seconds followed by a minute’s silence, in memory of and respect for all firefighters who have been lost in the line of duty or have passed on.

“We pride ourselves in the service that we are able to provide to the community but know that we wouldn’t be able to provide that service without the help of firefighters from brigades everywhere and we thank them for serving with us,” a representative from Medowie Rural Fire Brigade said.

School Bus Safety

NSW Police are reminding residents to take extra care around buses as children make their way to and from school.

Under advice from NSW Road Safety, they remind everyone to slow down around buses, whether the lights are flashing or not as there can be children around.

Drivers should keep plenty of space when driving or stopping around buses to keep children safe and improve bus drivers’ vision of the road environment.

Anzac Day Long Weekend

Over the ANZAC Day long weekend there were a number of alcohol-related incidents in the Port Stephens Hunter Police District.

– Security at a licensed premises ejected two heavily intoxicated people from the location.

The people assaulted security, and, when police officers attended, they assaulted police.

Both have been charged.

– Five people assaulted three victims after all eight persons were ejected from a licensed premises.
The offenders allegedly hid in bushes outside and set upon the victims as they were exiting.

Inquiries are continuing.

– A male victim attempted to intervene in an assault at a licensed premises.

An unidentified male person then punched the victim in the face, rendering him unconscious.

The victim received treatment at John Hunter Hospital.

Inquiries are continuing.

Dolly the Horse

On the morning of ANZAC Day, Raymond Terrace SES and Port Stephens Hunter Police were called to a 22-year-old Clydesdale, Dolly, who found herself caught in an open drain in her paddock at Raymond Terrace.

Dolly was well and truly stuck, with her right hind leg firmly entangled in vegetation on the bottom.

She patiently persisted with SES personnel poking and prodding her, putting slings around her, and desperately trying to free her from her predicament, obviously knowing that her human friends were trying to help her.

Around two hours passed, but still Dolly, all 600 kilos of her, lay trapped in the drain.

Then, as her human family looked on, and with rescuers still working hard to free her, without a complaint or sound, Dolly passed away, the prolonged stress taking its toll.

Regardless, rescuers worked on, retrieving Dolly from her watery entrapment, returning her to her human family for burial in her favourite paddock.

Marine Rescue

On 26 April, Marine Rescue Port Stephens received a request for assistance from an 8m cabin runabout which was grounded near d’Albora Marina.

After recording details, Skipper Brian with brew Jeff and Brad headed out to the grounded vessel.

The vessel was on the sand bar and was not able to be towed off and PS30 headed back to her berth with the two people on board and until 4:30pm at high tide to head back onto the water.

Once on scene crew Jeff and Brad with quick line work, soon had the vessel under tow.

Inshore Prawn trawlers

NSW DPI Fisheries Officers from the Hunter District Office recently assisted NSW Water Police Marine Area Command in a joint agency operation boarding inshore prawn trawlers in Stockton Bight just north of Newcastle.

Officers from Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) also took part in the investigation.

A number of prawn trawlers were boarded from two Water Police tactical response vessels.

All trawler operators were found to be complying with NSW Fisheries regulations, however NSW DPO reminds locals to report illegal activity on the Fisherwatch phone line on 1800 043 536.

By Tara CAMPBELL