1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Well, we know Darwin and Palmerston volunteers of the Northern 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Territory Emergency Service. They've been honored at a fiftieth anniversary 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: citation ceremony. So more than eighty volunteers, staff and families 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: attended an event in Palmerston to formally think volunteers for 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: their service and dedication and highlight the achievements of Northern 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: Territory Emergency Services. Now joining us in the studio is 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: NTEST Chief Officer Wayne Snell. Good morning to your Wayne. 8 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, good morning Katie. Thanks very much having me on. 9 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, lovely to have you on the show. Now tell 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: me fifty years. I mean it is a huge milestone 11 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: for the service. Remind us of some of the valuable 12 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: work that Northern Territory Emergency Services do. 13 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, Katie, it really is valuable. 14 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 3: Fifty years is a fantastic milestone for an organization like ours, 15 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 3: especially one that's driven by our volunteers, and the length 16 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 3: and breadth of the activities that they've done during that 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 3: fifty years is just outstanding. So, you know, whether it 18 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 3: be responding to the various cyclones that we've had, the 19 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 3: storms that we've had, often, you know, community gets to 20 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 3: see them cutting up trees, moving debris, rescuing people with 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 3: their vertical rescue capability, supporting the other services, supporting the 22 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 3: fire agencies, doing all those sorts of things, as well 23 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 3: as the emergency management role that they have, trying to 24 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 3: coordinate the responses around the place and support the police 25 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 3: with the control of the events that happen in this 26 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 3: beautiful territory of ours. 27 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, I look, it's such a beautiful place, but gee, 28 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: it's rugged, you know, Like, gee, we have some wild 29 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: weather and wild things happen. I would imagine that, you know, 30 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: working and volunteering for emergency services in the Northern Territory, 31 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: it's probably pretty different to other states. But gee, we 32 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: you know, like we bad above our average. 33 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 3: I think we absolutely do. Territories really do step up 34 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:48,559 Speaker 3: when they're needed. 35 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 2: In this great territory of ours. 36 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 3: The work that they do is really valuable not only 37 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 3: to the community, but also to all the visitors that. 38 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 2: We have to this place. 39 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 3: You know, it is the lifestyle, and it is the 40 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 3: the weather that we have and the beautiful natural surroundings 41 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 3: that we have. But all of those, of course come 42 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,639 Speaker 3: with risk, you know, particularly as we approach the wet season. 43 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 3: This year as it gets closer and the work that 44 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 3: the volunteers do, really we couldn't function as a territory. 45 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 3: I don't think without that service. 46 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: I mean, Wayne, fifty years, goodness me, what kind of 47 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: work has been done over that period of time. I 48 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: would imagine, you know, even when you look at one 49 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: particular season, sometimes we have a number of cyclones that 50 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: are impacting, you know, whether they have a direct hit 51 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: or whether we end up with a weather system. There 52 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: has been so much happen over a fifty year period 53 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory, hasn't. 54 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 3: They There has, particularly when we look at the roots 55 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 3: of where the Northern Territory Emergency Service came from. You know, 56 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 3: we started out as Air aid wardens and then moved 57 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 3: through civil defense and then moved into a national Emergency 58 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 3: Services type scenario and then the territory and state based establishment. 59 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 3: I think that was actually good thing for the territory 60 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 3: because it became more focused then on what the territory 61 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 3: territory needed, what territorians needed, and our visitors needed. During 62 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 3: that time, the work that we've done, probably the work 63 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 3: hasn't changed greatly. The types of impacts that we see 64 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 3: on human beings and the impact to our economy, impact 65 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 3: to our beautiful natural surroundings that we also try and 66 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 3: support and protect. But what has changed is the way 67 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 3: that we do it. Yea, some of those things have changed. 68 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: You know. 69 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 3: We've got technology in the field now that people would 70 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 3: have dreamed of fifty years ago, and we've got the 71 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 3: opportunity for people volunteers to undertake roles potentially that we 72 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 3: weren't doing. 73 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 2: Fifty years ago. 74 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 3: So there's a place for everybody in NTS. 75 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 2: So the Non Churaich Emergency Service. 76 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 3: Work welcomes everybody, regardless of their skill set, regardless of 77 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 3: what the history is or their background. We welcome everybody. 78 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 3: There's a role for everybody. 79 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: Tell me a little bit more about those incredible volunteers. 80 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: How many do we have? 81 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 3: We have just one two hundred and fifty volunteers at 82 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 3: the moment. We are in a cycler and upward cycle 83 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 3: at the moment. Try to bring in more volunteers is 84 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 3: where I was certainly offering volunteering the old model of volunteering, 85 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 3: where it was very regimented that sort of stuff. 86 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: We're moving away from that model and moving to. 87 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 3: A much more flexible model to reflect the territory lifestyle, 88 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 3: to be honest and to give people more of an 89 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 3: opportunity to contribute when they can, where they can, with 90 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 3: what they can. We will always need a group of 91 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 3: people who will be their core volunteer group who are 92 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 3: very highly trained across our range of rescue services, floodstorm operations, 93 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 3: those sorts of things. 94 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 2: But there are other jobs as well for people. 95 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:32,799 Speaker 3: For example, at the moment, I'm looking for a protocol officer, 96 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,559 Speaker 3: you know, somebody potentially with a former military background, only 97 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 3: needs to give a few hours every. 98 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 2: Month to help us with our events. 99 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 3: You know, I'm looking for a chaplain at the moment 100 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 3: those sorts of things. 101 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: Logistics officers is. 102 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 3: Another one as well as our fantastic general and rescue volunteers. 103 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: So, as I said, there's a range of jobs for 104 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: everybody well, and. 105 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: It sounds like a lot of different kinds of people 106 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:57,479 Speaker 1: can contribute. 107 00:04:57,720 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 2: Absolutely. 108 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: If there are people listening this small that are interested 109 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: in maybe volunteering for NTESS, where can they go? 110 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,799 Speaker 3: They can go onto our website, norn Teritory Emergency's website 111 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 3: we've just still hosted at the moment, even though we've 112 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 3: moved out of underneath the police environment. We've moved away 113 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 3: from pfees into our own agency still. Go to that website, 114 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 3: click on the NTES and you will see how to 115 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 3: get in touch with us there. Our phone number is 116 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 3: also in the book. You can look us up online 117 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 3: and give us a call have a bit of a 118 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 3: chat about that. And as I said, we'll take everybody 119 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 3: for everybody who's got something to contribute. 120 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: Well, And obviously you celebrated the fifty years with that ceremony. 121 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: You know what kind of what happened at that ceremony. 122 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: What were some of the stories or some of the 123 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: you know, the different things that were discussed. 124 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 3: Yeah, so you know, everybody got a formal citation, or 125 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 3: every volunteer and every staff member who's working this year 126 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 3: gets a formal citation. And part of that formal citation 127 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 3: is a reflection of the type of work that's been 128 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 3: done in the last fifty years on behalf of the 129 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 3: territory government. Some of the things that we talked about 130 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 3: were some of the funny things that happened. You know, really, 131 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 3: non Church Emergency Services is more like a fairly orientated 132 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 3: business than a government department. To be honest with the 133 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 3: way that we do our business, which makes it fun 134 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 3: of course, so you know, there are always funny things whenever. 135 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 2: Human beings are involved. 136 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 3: We talked about things, mistakes that we made in the field, 137 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 3: funny things that have happened that people have taken photographs of, 138 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 3: you know, and shared with others, but also some of 139 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 3: the some of the fantastic work that people have done, 140 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 3: the rescues that they've undertaken, the feedback we've got from 141 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 3: the community, individual community members, thanking thanking them for their fair, 142 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 3: often bravery, meritorious service, but also for the general work 143 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 3: of just being able to help and knowing that those 144 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 3: wonderful volunteers that we have are. 145 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 2: Able to help them. 146 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: I just love that, you know, you've got incredible people 147 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: like two hundred and fifty volunteers, two hundred and fifty 148 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: territories giving up their time for the greater good, for 149 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. I think that's a wonderful, wonderful thing. 150 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 3: Absolutely, it is one of the most fulfilling parts of 151 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 3: my job is to actually watch the voluntar and watch 152 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 3: them help their neighbors and then pick up into a 153 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 3: truck and go with a group and go and help 154 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 3: the neighbors in the next town, the next village, and 155 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 3: then occasionally we pick up all of our goods and 156 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 3: shuttles and we move into another state or territory and. 157 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 2: Help them as well. 158 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 3: So over the last fifty years and Northern Territory has 159 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 3: provided support into major responses right across Australia. And that's 160 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 3: one of the opportunities for volunteers is to be able 161 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 3: to go away and deploy we call it deploy into 162 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 3: another state or territory and support those communities because despite 163 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 3: the fact that we're here for the territory, we are 164 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 3: all Australians, so we do help one another occasionally. Eve 165 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 3: when we even help overseas good stuff. 166 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: Wayne, What does the future look like? What's the next 167 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: fifty years look like? Do you think for Northern Territory 168 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 1: emergency Services. 169 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 3: Well, as we know our risks are not going away, 170 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 3: we're getting more compounding, complex and concurrent events. That puts 171 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 3: more pressure on us to make sure a that our 172 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 3: readiness is really good and that we support the community 173 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 3: to get ready. And next week, with the opening of 174 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 3: the higher risk weather season, we're going to give some advice, 175 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 3: quite a bit of advice next week and I might 176 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 3: be able to provide you with some of that and 177 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 3: also the responses. The expectations with the responses that we 178 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 3: have means that a we need to be. 179 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 2: Faster than what we have been in the past and we. 180 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 3: Need to be able to provide that range of services 181 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 3: to all territori ands. So we need to make sure 182 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 3: that there are no pockets of the territory that aren't 183 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 3: supported through our efforts and aren't supported through the recovery process. 184 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 2: Also, well, Wayne. 185 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: Snell, Northern Territory Emergency Services Chief Officer, really appreciate your 186 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 1: time this morning. Thanks so much for joining us. 187 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 2: Thank you for the opportunity. 188 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: Katie, thank you.