Emergency service chiefs fear for the emotional well-being of Far South Coast crews forced to attend a string of serious car accidents involving six fatalities in recent weeks.
"It's really hard for the crews here because the (crash victims) are from around here," NSW Fire Brigades duty commander Inspector Kel McNamara said.
"I've been in the fire brigade 25 years and it doesn't matter how many times you go to those things, it doesn't get any easier."
EDITORIAL: Fatalities put spotlight back on lethal roadPhotos from the petrol tanker crash scene The latest deaths occurred on Saturday. Fishermans Paradise couple Ken Ashman, 52, and Christine Cluss, 53, were killed about 4pm when their motorcycle and a Holden Commodore station wagon collided on the Princes Hwy near East Lynne.
On December 28, just 4km north of that crash site, a car containing David Bridge, 47, his wife Debbie, 40, and their daughters Makeely, 11, and Jordon, 13, from Ulladulla, slammed into a petrol tanker.
The girls were killed in the crash along with tanker driver David Carolan, 36.
Six days later, David Bridge died of burns in Royal North Shore Hospital. Debbie Bridge is still in a stable condition in Concord Hospital.
"Those two girls who were in the tanker crash, they were members of the surf club in the local area," Insp McNamara said.
"It doesn't just affect emergency service workers, it affects everyone.
"We urge all our fire brigade crews to get assistance if they feel they need it or if their captains or deputy captains feel they are suffering some stress from it.
"It's part of the job, but it is still important for us to look after our own."
The driver of the Commodore involved in Saturday's accident, a 34-year-old Spanish national, has been charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.
He is due to appear in Batemans Bay Local Court next Monday.
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