State firefighting champions prepare for another year

The crew are current state champions, and were the top Australian team at last year’s Australiasion championships in New Zealand.

“It’s a team effort, not just about individuals,” Mr Hanscombe said.

“There’s no key players, everyone has their own job, so it’s about combining skills.

“It’s all about combinations and using all our skills.”

The championships see firefighters compete in events relevant to modern firefighting, and compete to see who is the quickest at different disciplines.

“We have got a great station here, everyone is on the same playing field,” Mr Hanscombe said.

“It’s about doing everything right and being the fastest.”

While the team of Mr Hanscombe, Clinton Towill, Trent Smith and Cassandra Dickson have not trained as much as they would have hoped, Mr Hanscombe is sure the team will be in the top three by Sunday.

“We have been busy, so have only had a few practice runs,” Mr Hanscombe said.

“We aim to do as well as we can.

“If we finish in the top three we will be very happy, and if we win it will be a bonus.”

Ms Dickson broke down barriers, becoming the first woman to win a state championship, and Mr Hanscombe said more women are competing each year.

He said the Kelso, Wyong and Nowra crews will be competitive, and the Kootingal Rural Fire Service are the team to beat.

“Kootingal have been a really good side for the last 10 years,” Mr Hanscombe said.

He said the teams “get along like a house on fire”, and spend time together before and after the championships.

“The championships are also really good also for schools who come down and watch,” he said.

“It’s all about fire awareness.”

This year will be Mr Hanscombe’s 13^th state championship in his 24 years as a Bega firefighter.

After the weekend’s competition the crew will begin looking ahead to the state championships in Dubbo in October.