Inverell SES crew members along with members from Glen Innes, Manila, Tamworth, and Moree came together at Copeton Dam for a Flood boat Operator Skills/Vessel Familiarisation Day.
Operators with varied experience were given the opportunity to drive a variety of vessels currently in service in the SES fleet learning their capabilities, quirks, and limitations of the vessel.
With a change in dam conditions after lunch creating the swell and white caps Copeton is known for, their casualty retrieval scenarios became significantly more realistic with operators approaching a rock outcrop and enter dead trees while dealing with the push of the wind and swell, to safely retrieve two mannequins.
Crews will now look forward to the next skills day which aims to include a wider sample of SES members and vessels but also to undertake inter-agency training with the VRA and NSW Police.
