Cessnock District VRA Rescue Squad's response times are set to get a whole lot faster thanks to their new tracking system.
Run by volunteers, the Cessnock District VRA Rescue Squad is the primary rescue unit for the majority of the Cessnock Local Government Area.
The squad attends all kinds of rescues and accidents, and are available 24 hours a day.
The mobile data terminal system, which is already used by the Rural Fire Service, lets the rescue squad see where their members and vehicles are, and who is available, in real time.
This will cut out the time it usually takes to make calls to members and see who is available or close by when responding to an emergency.
Cessnock District VRA Rescue Squad's public relations officer, James Harris, said the system lets them track members and vehicles whereabouts in real time."It will increase their response times," he said. "We can recognise where everyone is rather than making phone calls, it might take an extra five minutes to do all that whereas if we know that they're available and that they're responding it's quicker for the truck to leave. "Previously, we'd put our availability pretty much on a piece of paper in the office, and no we can do it on a calendar on that system to show when everyone is available."
The system, including iPads and mounting brackets cost about $8000, which was funded by donations from local businesses.
Mr Harris said the government does not currently offer funding for the Volunteer Rescue Squad for the system.
LJ Hooker Cessnock, Hunter Valley, and Kurri Kurri Bowling Club and East Cessnock Bowling Club all made contributions to make the new tracking system possible.
Over the last several months LJ Hooker Cessnock principal Bryce Gibson, has been collecting returnable containers from various locations and returning them via the reverse vending machines.
Our long term and main supporter is ECBC sports, who’s members and guest donated over 20,000 containers along with his fellow Freemasons from Lodge Paxton. Coupled with financial contributions from Masonicare (the Grand charity of Freemasons NSW & ACT) and LJ Hooker Cessnock we raised the grand total to $6000.
Local Freemason and Real Estate Agent, Mr Bryce Gibson said “It is always a great thing to support our local community, not only are we recycling containers we are also saving extra costs to businesses for the disposal of waste.”
This story can also be found on Cessnock Advertiser and on our blog post Lifesaving donation.