Disaster Month

CADETS EQUIPPED WITH SKILLS FOR LIFE

Bianca Oakley, Noah Weber and Andrew Nicholson Back L-R Dallas McGrath, Scott Horsfall, Noah Weber, Charlotte Eisel, Andrew Nicholson, Front L-R Bianca Oakley, Felicity Stephen, Jack Toy

Every Thursday night, a group of savvy and enthusiastic teenagers meet to share life skills, laughs and lessons.

They are the PCYC Emergency Services Cadet Unit. Cadets is a fun and encouraging program that equips its participants with skills and knowledge to take into the world, whether the participants choose to pursue the emergency services or not. “The last few weeks we’ve been doing preparation for storm season,” said PCYC Emergency Services Cadet Unit Coordinator Andrew Nicholson. “We’ve been teaching them about knots, radios, what to have, tarping, sandbagging and getting them all to work as a team to do it.”

Andrew has been in the coordinator role for the last five years but involved in the SES for much longer. “At the time, I’d just gone into being the deputy local controller then three months later, all of a sudden, I became the one in charge, so I had some real sudden learning curves,” he laughed. He says he’s loved the responsibility of teaching children these valuable life skills. “Getting out there, helping the young ones, getting them up to speed with life skills and getting to know them and helping them along and keeping them off the streets,” he said. “I have seen some really good cadets come through over the years and quite a few that wish they could stay.” There are currently 12 cadets in the unit, including 15-year-old Noah Weber and 16-year-old Bianca Oakley. They both agree that cadets is a great place to make friends and learn new skills, and that’s what keeps them coming back. “All the people and the community, honestly,” said Bianca. “I know just about everyone here off by heart.”

“The life skills that I’ve learnt, the people that I’ve made friends with and just everyone in general, they’re just great

BIANCA AND NOAH’S DISASTER TIPS

• Ask the SES or Emergency Service Cadets – “Most events we go to, we’ll set up a tent where we’ll have bags, folders, a book with all the stuff you should know,” said Bianca. • Check your risk – “Check where you are, make sure you’re not going to get flooded out,” said Noah. “If you are going to get flooded out, move when you can. There’s no point in waiting until it’s at your doorstep.” • Check the storm guide – “There are websites that you can use,” said Bianca. “The government has a section on their website where you can download information.”

people to be around,” agreed Noah.

Noah plans to contribute his Cadets skills to the air force when he finishes school, while Bianca is already in the field, recently joining the SES Calen Unit.

“Since I started Cadets, I’ve always wanted to be in the SES because my mum was, my step-dad has been, I’ve always been around it so it’s just kind of normal,” said Bianca.

“Now that I’m 16, I can actually go and be a part of it and be involved.” An annual highlight for Cadets is the Cadet Games held in Townsville every year, giving cadets the opportunity to put their skills to the test in a competitive environment and meet different cadet units while doing so.

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“It was a lot of medical-based stuff, this year,” said Noah. “First aid, triage, the stretcher obstacle course,” added Bianca. The Games includes other cadet units including Navy, Army and Surf Life Savers from areas including Emerald, Charters Towers, Hughenden, Cairns and Thursday Island. “It’s open to any cadet group agency,” said Andrew.

The Mackay group won the Squad Challenge in 2021 and Noah says they weren’t far off this year.

For more information on PCYC Emergency Services Cadets or to join, visit www.pcyc.org.au/join-a-unit.

SEE YOURSELF IN ORANGE

Get involved in your community and learn new skills. Your local SES team would be excited to meet you.

Contact: Alex McPhee State Emergency Service Local Controller Visit ses.qld.gov.au or call 0409 894 721

Safety Must Be Number One

As part of our Christmas Curfew oversize vehicle permit NHVR and TMR staff were taken to the farm of CANEGROWERS Mackay Area Committee member Andre Camilleri, to get a firsthand look at some of the large agricultural machinery involved in cane farming operations.

We are moving slowly towards the end of the 2022 crush, but there is no room for complaanyone involved in crazy high-speed manoeuvres to overtake, it just places everyone in jeopardy. So please be mindful on CANEGROWERS Mackay has worked with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Queensland Transport and Main Weighing on growers’ minds is the spectres of dwindling sugar content, standover cane and the ongoing viability of their cency when it comes to safety. Road users, please keep in mind that both haulout vehicles and cane trains will still be on the roads and tramlines across Christmas and into January. Rail crossings will be active, use your train brain. We also ask for the community’s continued patience with the slower moving haulout vehicles. There’s no value for the roads- these are people earning a living in an industry that works hard for the regional economy. Most years, the large low-loader trucks moving harvesters between farms are off the road and the crush done and dusted by the Christmas Heavy Vehicle Curfew, but this year they will be about, as with the end of 2021. Roads and relevant harvester contractors who are CANEGROWERS members, to smoothly ensure that permits are secured for operators over the curfew period, holding a workshop last week between all stakeholders. The event was highly beneficial for all involved, hopefully introducing some streamlines to the process, should we find ourselves negotiating the Christmas Curfew in years to come. Also present at the information workshop were representatives from Mackay Sugar, Mackay Regional Council, and CANEGROWERS Proserpine. To help extend community safety messaging, in coming weeks you will also start to hear our radio ad played across 4MK, KIX and HIT, reminding road users that we are out there for the longer harvest this year. No-one likes working over what should be a festive season celebrated with family and friends, but that is what the sugar industry is grappling with again in 2022. agribusinesses. The rush is on, also, to get as much of the crop away as possible as the monsoon moves in.

Despite these pressure points and their toll upon stress levels, we must not sacrifice our safety. The recent incident between a haulout tractor and a cane train in the Burdekin is a strong warning on the importance of vigilance and keen awareness of our surroundings as we go about our work. It’s an industry of big machinery, and big consequences when things go wrong. It has been a long crush, people are looking to get the job done, but this is not the time for complacency. We urge growers and harvesters to think safety in the paddock, in the shed and around sidings: to be mindful of our environment and the machines around us.

There’s not a dollar in the world for which it is worth losing a life. Think safety, wherever you are working.

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