For Tamworth's new emergency services boss, the SES is the third string to his bow.
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Superintendent Mitchell Parker, a former police officer of 16 years, also put out fires with Fire and Rescue NSW for 14 more.
He's been a rescue operator for a decade.
"My biggest thing is [that] instead of being the person on the side of the road ringing triple zero waiting for the help to arrive you can be that person giving that help," he said.
Mr Parker took over the New England North West region for the NSW SES from Heath Stimson in early August.
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The local SES faces an unusually large and diverse geography and therefore have a wide range of skills.
He hopes to attract additional professionals with high-level qualifications, particularly in flood rescue, in Tamworth.
"They are a very resourceful unit, they are always looking for more members," he said.
"We are looking particularly for flood rescue operators. They're the people that wear the wet suits, the life jackets and go in to save people trapped in flood waters.
"We've got a few operators; we could always use more."
He said the SES had adopted a model called flexible volunteering, which allowed people to specialise in their own chosen field.
They would only pick up the phone if that skill was really needed.
"You might be a leader of the squad team at the Tamworth pool, well then you're going to be the type of person we'd love to have as an in-water flood technician."
He pointed to Nundle's community-first response team as one of the most active in NSW.
They respond to emergencies where NSW Ambulance can't get quickly, and make the community more resilient in a crisis.
He said people often wrongly assumed they would be asked to search grid squares and do weekly training to competencies they're not interested in, to stay in the SES.
"I've got a real passion for emergency management and rescue," he said.
"The most attractive part for me is working with such an enthusiastic and diverse workforce. The volunteers want to be there to help people. The majority of your volunteers have that enthusiastic keenness to get out and help the community.
"And they come from all walks of life. To work with such a diverse workforce that wants to be at work is something that's really exciting."
Andrew Messenger
Politics, environment and energy journalist at the Northern Daily Leader. I also write about health, bushfires and occasionally music. I'm a Brisbane boy by way of Charleville and Hobart who now lives in in beautiful New England. Get me at andrew.messenger@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Politics, environment and energy journalist at the Northern Daily Leader. I also write about health, bushfires and occasionally music. I'm a Brisbane boy by way of Charleville and Hobart who now lives in in beautiful New England. Get me at andrew.messenger@austcommunitymedia.com.au
