SOME of us don’t really think about being ready for a fire until a fire is on our doorstep.

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Others make their livelihoods protecting us from fire.

Some make the ultimate sacrifice serving their communities.

There are lots of things we can all do to make sure that we are prepared and ready especially during fire season.

There has been quite a bit happening for the local teams at Fire and Rescue.

This week, Raymond Terrace and Salamander Bay Fire & Rescue NSW Stations were kept busy with a range of incidents across the Port Stephens area.

On Sunday 1 November, the crew from Salamander Bay were called to assist with an individual who was stuck in a lift at a venue in Nelson Bay.

Giacomo Arnott, Deputy Captain Raymond Terrace Fire & Rescue told News Of The Area, “Fortunately the lift was able to be fixed and the person escaped with no injuries.”

The Salamander Bay crew is a specialised rescue unit, which is ready and able to respond to many lift rescues every year.

On Tuesday 3 November, the crew from Raymond Terrace were called to a skip bin on fire in the Heatherbrae industrial area.

“It was extinguished by the crew, and served as a good reminder to the business owners that you can’t burn industrial waste – it must be disposed of properly and safely.”

There are things that you can do to help you and your family to be ready in case of fires.

There is an Emergency Plus App which you can now download to your smartphone.

“Fire & Rescue NSW and the Triple Zero Awareness Work Group re-launched the app this week, with improved capabilities to help you in an emergency.

“The app will assist the user to help call the right number in an emergency, anywhere in Australia, and provides you with the tools to identify your location and provide that to emergency services,” he said.

The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Being prepared and knowing what your plan is if you are faced by a fire is important.

There is a new awareness campaign called First Saturday which encourages people to prepare their homes for fires.

Simple actions like cleaning gutters can make a big difference to the safety of properties.

By Marian SAMPSON