In their battle to regain rescue, there have been some isolated, offensive and scurrilous claims in relation to the effect of the changes. Here we will dispel some myths and provide some perspective.

Q: Is it true that the NSW Fire Brigade (NSWFB) have little or no rescue experience, and "people will die" due to the ambulance service losing rescue?

A: No. The fact is that the NSWFB is the largest rescue service in Australia, with more than 10 times as many rescue vehicles, operators and response points than Ambulance rescue had. The NSWFB have over 180 rescue units and 2000 qualified rescue operators responding to almost 12,000 rescue incidents every year. Compare this to the Ambulance service, which had only 14 units and 180 operators. Clearly, the Ambulance were already providing only a small fraction of the rescue services in NSW. The NSW Fire Brigades have been performing rescues for more than 100 years.

Q: Is it true that paramedics will no longer attend rescues to provide medical care, and instead firefighters (with only a standard first aid certificate will perform the medical care) putting people's lives at risk?

A: Absolutely not. Just as already happens in the rest of the state, Ambulance paramedics will attend every car accident and rescue to provide medical care. This is completely unchanged from previous arrangements.

Additionally, rescue firefighters receive a qualification in Basic Life Support, which is a more advanced level of training than a senior first aid certificate. They will of course perform medical care while waiting for the Paramedics to arrive if required to do so.

Q: Is it true that the Fire Brigade cannot perform vertical (AKA: cordage/rope/cliff/abseiling) rescues?

A: No. Every single fire engine in NSW (not just the rescue trucks) carries cordage/abseiling equipment, and every single firefighter in NSW is trained to use it. Rescue firefighters receive additional specialised cordage equipment and training equivalent to that received by Ambulance rescue operators.

Q: Does any other Ambulance service in Australia perform rescues?

A: No. The Tasmanian Ambulance used to perform rescue, but transferred their areas to the Tasmanian Fire Service several years ago.

Q: Does any other Ambulance service in the World perform rescues?

A: This is more difficult to answer. In many areas of the USA for example, the fire brigade provide both ambulance (paramedic) and rescue services. However, there are few (if any) dedicated ambulance services that provide rescue anywhere in the World. In areas of the US where fire-paramedics do perform rescue, their level of medical training is generally similar to that of NSWFB firefighters, ie: Basic Life Support. There is nowhere else in the world that diverts ambulance officers from patient care to the operation of rescue tools.

Q: Is it true that Ambulance rescue paramedics will lose their jobs?

A: No. They will return to regular paramedic positions. They have also been offered the opportunity to transfer to the Fire Brigade if they wish to continue in a rescue capacity.

Q: Is it true that the Ambulance Service were the pioneers of rescue in NSW?

A: While the Ambulance have been involved in rescue since at least the 1960s, the NSW Fire Brigades have been involved in rescue since the early 1900s, with specialised rescue vehicles dating back to about 1915. Find more information here.

Q: Is it true that the fire brigade regularly covered Ambulance rescue areas before they withdrew?

A: Yes. Between 2005 and 2008, there were over 170 separate occasions when the Ambulance rescue unit was unavailable, and the NSWFB had to provide rescue in those areas. The periods of unavailability ranged from hours to months.