Our volunteers
Marine Rescue Hawkesbury is operated entirely by a team of dedicated volunteers. Our volunteers fulfil a variety of both operational and administrative roles within the unit and we are supported by the Marine Rescue NSW organisation.
Our volunteers share a unified, selfless commitment to saving lives on the water for the boating community of New South Wales and are drawn from a wide variety of vocational backgrounds.
We are only as good as our team and our team is excellent. Each and every one of us chooses to donate our time to the unit in order to keep boats on the water to assist the public in times of need.
All our volunteers undergo continual training and drills in order to refine our skills, all under the auspices of the Marine Rescue NSW registered training organisation (RTO) to internationally recognised standards.
At a minimum, every rated member of our boat crews has an LROCP or SROCP radio licence, First Aid and Advanced Resuscitation qualifications, a Certificate I in Maritime Operations and has completed training in Firefighting and Sea Survival. Many team members’ qualifications far exceed this minimum level and include thousands of hours of time at sea on commercial, Police and military vessels as well as from competitive yacht racing and recreational boating.
Volunteering with Marine Rescue Hawkesbury
Marine Rescue Hawkesbury organises regular information sessions for potential new members and conducts new member inductions several times per year depending on our operational requirements.
No specific qualifications or experience is required as all training is provided.
To be eligible to become a volunteer with Marine Rescue Middle Harbour you must:
- Be at least 16 years of age and a Permanent Resident of Australia.
- Have no criminal record (A CRIMTRAC check is performed on all applicants).
- Commit to:
- Attending regular duties (1 full weekend (2 days) or a public holiday every 4-5 weeks, 8am to sunset)
- Attending unit meetings every second month
- Attending additional weekend training courses a couple of times a year and studying in your own time
- Participating in additional fundraising activities a few times a year
- Demonstrate good English communication skills & the ability to work in a team environment.
- Be a capable swimmer and be able to complete sea survival training.
- Meet basic medical fitness standards (including eyesight & hearing, ability to work on a moving platform/boat, perform manual lifting, climb through an escape hatch, etc).
If you would prefer to help out on shore, you may like to join our dedicated support team who fulfil a range of duties at the Hawkesbury base including fundraising and community engagement as well as providing support to our boat crews.
Membership requirements for radio operators and administrative staff are similar to those for vessel crew, but without the need to meet the physical fitness standards of vessel crew.