Forestry Corporation’s Bombala Management Area Silviculture and Fire Co-Ordinator Jason Vincent said the new staff would bolster local firefighting capability.

“We’ve employed two locals, Stephen Groves and Stephen Cameron, as tanker operators and fieldworkers and brought on six seasonal firefighters for the summer months,” Mr Vincent said.

“The firefighters include Dan Speckert, Shawn Gordon and Will Gunn who are Canadians with firefighting experience spending the summer in Australia, Clinton Towill, a firefighter from Bega, and locals Joey Reed and Alex Rosten who have just finished school.

“We take our firefighting responsibilities seriously and have been putting all of these new staff through intensive training so that they are ready to deploy to fires locally and state-wide as required throughout the summer.

“We’re lucky to have found a team with a great mix of backgrounds and experience and everyone has really taken to their new roles. In fact, they have already successfully contained a fire that started in a local State forest following lightning strike last month.

“If we’re lucky enough to have a quiet fire season, the team will also carry out important summer works including roadside clearing, weed control and hazard reduction burning.”

For more information about Forestry Corporation of NSW, visit www.forestrycorporation.com.au