Key points
- Indian-Australian Vinay Kumar has been an SES volunteer for the last five years.
- SES specialises in flood, storm and tsunami rescue
- Mr Kumar is now training to be a full-time unit volunteer.
Taking a walk with his kids through the Blue Mountains bushes five years ago, Vinay Kumar, a family man, born and brought up in the Indian hills of Shimla and a proud Australian of 20 years, came across a rather disturbing piece of news: an Italian bushwalker had gone missing in the area.
Three days later, when he followed up on the incident, he came to know NSW State Emergency Service had run a rescue operation and had finally located the lost bushwalker. The next thing he knew, Mr Kumar had signed up as an SES volunteer too.
Specialising in rescue work during floods, storm and tsunami, the SES responded to 34,474 requests over the period of 2018-19. Out of these, 17,445 were during the hailstorm period of Nov-Dec 2018 alone.
This kind of exceptional community work serves as the beacon of inspiration for Mr Kumar, who is now training to be a full-time unit volunteer. He tells SBS Hindi that bushwalker rescue is only a small part of what SES does. Their Penrith unit alone responded to 1,090 calls last year out of which almost 800 were related to storm damages.
Tackling the many difficulties of storms like fallen trees, damaged roofs, structural damages due to heavy rains and strong winds, the SES is an organisation that has close to 10,000 volunteers.
One thing that Mr Kumar thinks he has learnt from his experience is that preparedness is the key to cut losses.
It is always smart to have a storm plan ready. Know your risk. Figure out the evacuation routes you would take and the places you can seek shelter in during a calamity. Share this plan with family and neighbours. Storms are best weathered with community standing together.
He says it's extremely important to keep handy an emergency kit containing a radio, torch, maps and essential items during floods, storms and tsunami warnings. In case your home does fall in a risk zone, this will save a lot of time and will ensure your safety.
On being asked how important he thinks is the participation of the Indian community in the SES, he says, “Australia is a multicultural land. Community participation ensures we have representation in this very important organisation. Every volunteer brings with them a special skillset.”
Such kind of voluntary participations work wonders for the reputation of the community as well. It establishes us as a community that is ready to step up when the need arises.
It is extremely easy to join the NSW SES. It needs no special qualification and anyone above the age of 16 can sign up, as long they have work rights in Australia. Although for people of 16 and 17 years of age, parental consent is a must.
To know more about the risks of flooding and storms in your area, you can visit www.myfloodrisk.nsw.org.au.
