Year 6 students are currently studying Natural Disasters and how they are responded to by emergency services here in Australia. In support of this learning, the students were recently visited by the Redland City State Emergency Service (SES), a not-for-profit, volunteer emergency service organisation, providing the community with disaster response and preparedness capability.
The visit began with a talk from the volunteers, who explained the different types of hazards and risks to which we are exposed in the Redlands, as well as the Disaster Framework within which they operate. They went on to share their multiple capabilities, ranging from storm damage and flooding response to supporting other agencies with bushfire and search and rescue operations.
Students then had the opportunity to explore some of the equipment and vehicles used for these tasks, including chainsaws, height kits, a truck and a flat-bottomed boat. Groups of students also engaged in a friendly competition to determine who could best work together to smoothly lift a stretcher and carry Fred, the training dummy. They found it surprisingly heavy, as the dummy is used to simulate the actual weight of a human.
The students thoroughly enjoyed the visit from the SES and appreciated the chance to speak directly with experts who have firsthand experience in preparing for and responding to natural disasters. We extend our gratitude to the SES volunteers for taking time off to share their knowledge and expertise with the Year 6 students.
