By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A mobile lighting trailer is on its way to Narre Warren SES after receiving a $45,000 State Government grant.
The trailer not only supplies up to 20 hours of light from a tower but doubles as an emergency power generator.
Currently, the unit’s only mobile lighting unit is mounted on one of its vehicles. Having the trailer frees up that truck for other emergency work, says member Tim Howell.
Deputy operations controller Sally Higgs said the unit had its busiest year of callouts since the 2011 floods.
More than 1100 callouts were recorded in 2016, spiked by more common storm and heavy-rain events.
That was an average of three call-outs a day for the unit’s 45 volunteers.
As the only unit for Casey’s vastly-spread 300,000-plus population, it is lobbying for an extra branch in Cranbourne.
The grant was part of a $15 million Emergency Services Volunteer Sustainability Grants program.
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan said the grant would assist the SES in its “outstanding job” in keeping the community safe.
Grant applications can be downloaded at emv.vic.gov.au/esvsgrants
