SES Wimmera operations manager: we are struggling to get sufficient numbers for smaller towns

SES Wimmera operations, manager, Ryan Leffler said the service was looking for more volunteers to join its rank to help out with road accidents and flooding incidents.

Mr Leffler said units in small towns such as Dimboola and Kaniva were searching for more volunteers.

"Our unit supports towns in the Wimmera and the Grampians. I have 136 volunteers in the Wimmera and the reality it is under 100," he said.

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"There is a lack of volunteers across the country. We are struggling to get sufficient numbers in smaller towns."

Mr Leffler said the lack of volunteers in the service had negative consequences for units being able to deal with different situations.

"It affects units being able to deal with situations efficiently. For example, in Horsham with our volunteers' commitments during the day, you might only get from two to three people turning out to a job," he said.

"It delays responses to a road-crash incident or a storm. It is even particularly more so with the unit in Dimboola which has only five people involved in that unit."

Mr Leffler said the service was preparing for storm season and was still monitoring potentially more floods which could hit the region.

"We have been able to handle the floods. We had about 490 requests for assistance and we were able to meet most of that capacity," he said.

"If it was an on-going event, which it was we run out of people. Say if you have 10 people, they cannot deal with other incidents."

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