In its place is the one month old merged and larger RFS Mid Coast District, encompassing Gloucester to Great Lakes to Greater Taree to Port Macquarie and Lord Howe Island, with Superintendent Kam Baker at the helm.

Planning for the merger of the regions has been underway since the local council mergers were announced in May. Supt Baker said the restructures will enable great efficiency and easier pooling of resources across regions.

“The RFS has been restructuring its management and service districts since 2000… We’re not reducing paid staff,” he said, referring to the breadth of their duties altering instead. 

The new merged entity has a paid staff of 20, 90 brigades of approximately 2450 volunteers who will attend an average of 1800 calls per year over 15,670 sq km. 

Citing strict policy procedures and guidelines to follow, Supt Baker is undaunted by the greater challenge of managing a district which has almost doubled in size instantaneously. While admitting it is a big challenge, he said the region will be managed by “knowledgeable staff and volunteers” in the same way they manage a fire but with less bureaucracy.

”The dangers are from a management perspective, such as communication failing and a lack of local input. An important goal is open and honest communication.” 

A Forster resident, Supt Baker began his career with the RFS in Gloucester in 1993. He is based out of the Taree office. 

He said despite the merger on November 28, it is business as usual.

“It has been a very busy start to the fire season,” he said, citing a high fire potential brought on by the green drought.

“There’s been a lot of dry lightning – about 14 in the last three weeks – but we were able to get on top of them very quickly.” 

He reminded all residents to have a bushfire survival plan ready at all times.

Background:

Rural Fire Service Management areas differ across the state with no general standard size. They are determined by the boundary of their local council, so when the council boundary changes, so to must the Rural Fire District.

Since 2000 a number of changes to local government areas has seen District numbers drop from 149 to 125. Districts are also grouped into larger management areas, which at last count amounted to 45 after the flow on effect of this year’s council amalgamations. 

Other RFS districts to merge as a result of the local government amalgamations were in the Riverina, Mid Murray and Central Coast areas.