On Wednesday 26 March, VICSES units from the South East exercised their skills in a hot air balloon crash simulation.
Held at Dandenong Police Paddocks Reserve, 65 volunteers from across 11 local metro units came together for an evening of search and rescue training.
The exercise simulated a hot air balloon crash that had five SES crews thoroughly search the nearby area for four missing passengers, providing initial first aid and then carrying them to safety.
Focused on allowing new volunteers to utilise their skills, VICSES Officer members were among them as a unit that started only last year.
“As a brand-new VICSES unit, large-scale training exercises such as these provide a fantastic opportunity for our members to learn new skills and develop relationships with other local volunteers,” VICSES Officer Unit volunteer, Joe Wall said.
“About 65 volunteers were in attendance and were able to successfully learn and refine valuable search and rescue techniques in a controlled environment, simulating a challenging emergency scenario.
“VICSES volunteers train hard to ensure they’re prepared to assist their communities in times of emergency, and these major training events are vital in developing well-rounded volunteers ready for any situation.”
