There were screams of a different kind as dozens of State Emergency Service volunteers controlled the action in Jamberoo at the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The skill and experience of seven teams from across the state were put to the test at Jamberoo Action Park during the biennial two-day NSW SES State Disaster Rescue Challenge, which concluded on Sunday afternoon.
A six-person team from Kiama battled it out against units from Coffs Harbour, Queanbeyan, Gosford, Hawkesbury, Sydney City and Port Macquarie-Hastings as they confronted a series of unexpected scenarios.
A vertical rescue, technical rescue, land search and mass-casualty response were among the eight simulated challenges.
"We've tried to make the scenarios as challenging and as realistic as possible for them so they really have to use all their skills to achieve the rescue," NSW SES spokeswoman Sue Pritchard said. "We had a mass-casualty scenario, with lots of people injured in a major accident, and you could hear them [the mock casualties] screaming."
Teams were vying for a spot at the National Disaster Rescue Challenge, to be held in the ACT in September.
The competitive nature was evident before the challenge, with the Queanbeyan unit making their chances known via the NSW SES Facebook page.
"Just measuring up a place on the wall for the plaque," the unit posted on Friday afternoon.
However, it was the Kiama team that claimed bragging rights and a spot in the nationals.