37 senior National Fire Authority officers have graduated as part of the second cohort who completed intensive training in Urban Search and Rescue Level 1 and Swift Water Rescue, and training.
Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa stated this at their graduation at the NFA headquarters.
Nalumisa says today is not only a proud occasion for the NFA and its officers, but a moment of strategic importance for our nation and for the wider Pacific region.
He says this is more than a graduation, this is a declaration of purpose and it is a testament to the kind of future they are actively choosing to build, a future where Pacific nations are not only resilient in the face of growing climate and disaster risks, but equipped with the professional capability, technology, and solidarity to respond swiftly and effectively when lives hang in the balance.
Nalumisa says Urban Search and Rescue is not just a skillset, it is a discipline that demands precision, endurance, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to humanity it is about entering collapsed structures when others flee, navigating unstable ruins, and making critical decisions under extreme pressure all in the hope of saving a life.
He says the USAR Level 1 training the graduates have completed is delivered to globally recognised INSARAG standards, and is the foundation of something much larger a long-term vision to build a nationally capable and regionally deployable rescue service.
The Minister says one that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best.
Nalumisa extended his his appreciation to their regional partners from Queensland Fire Department the instructors,Wayne Bridgman, Paul Clark, Matt Kelleman, John Roache and Shayne Enright and said that there commitment to sharing expertise and building regional capacity through the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership has not just of technical collaboration but of mutual respect and shared purpose
