BEING a police rescue operator is not an easy job, and some Tamworth locals learnt that last week as they took part in a three-day training course which got the better of over half its participants.
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Aspiring rescue operators from the Western Region travelled to the Eumungerie silos between Wednesday, April 7 and Friday, April 9, where they were required to complete the NSW Police Force Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit selection course.
They were tested on their skills around confined spaces, depths and heights, in a challenging program that ultimately saw just 12 of the 25 participants pass.
Chief Inspector Brenton Charlton said the trainees were tested on a range of different activities including bomb disposal work, land search and rescue and operational support for NSW Police.
He is confident, however, that those who come out on the other side are ready for the job.
"It's an extremely intense three days," he said.
"It's about challenging the candidates around their phobias - their fears of heights, depths and confined spaces - combined with high levels of fitness and mechanical aptitude and skill.
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"Initially we started with 25 operators and due to the selection process of swimming, fitness and aptitude testing, we're now down to a core of 12.
"We've exhausted them over the three days, it's been extremely difficult and hard for them, but all 12 operators will make great operators into the future."
Increasing the amount of suitable personnel in regional areas is something C/Insp Charlton is extremely passionate about.
He believes the more elite rescue operators there are, the more beneficial it is for the district.
"Having the resources here is strategically important to our operation, it gives us a quick response time for NSW Police Force operations but also for the community of NSW," he said.
"What this selection does for us is it shows us people who have the natural attributes and characteristics we need to be able to give them a skill and train them to become a basic police rescue operator."
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