A NEW round of recruits to the Gilgandra SES have recently completed a their main rounds of training, allowing them to respond to incidents.

The seven new recruits - who come from a variety of backgrounds, including teaching, retail and trades - joined the Gilgandra brigade after a recruitment drive earlier this year.

They then underwent courses to become qualified storm and flood operators over two weekends in October before completing Prepare To Participate In Rescue Operation training over two days earlier this month.

Training co-ordinator for the Castlereagh Cluster of the SES Lane Lewis said the courses covered the fundamentals of SES training.

"The storm and flood training is the main training to get us into our combat roles and it branches off after that," Mr Lewis said.

"The SES does heaps of different training, from flood rescue and large animal rescue to vertical rescue. It all comes up to operational need - a unit based on flat land and without height risk generally won't do any vertical rescue training."

Mr Lewis, who is also part of the Coonamble SES, thought the 10 graduates - which included the seven new recruits - did very well and was pleased to help them be ready to assist in incidents both local and further away if needed.

"We cover fairly large areas out west - we don't have the luxury of being five minutes away from where the incidents occur, so our units work together fairly closely," he said.

"That said, we're always looking for volunteers - if people are happy to walk through the door, we're always happy to take them on."

Day two of the Prepare To Participate In Rescue Operation training which occurred earlier this month. Graduates were taught how to respond to scenarios like the one above of a person pinned under a car trailer. Photo courtesy of Gilgandra SES.

According to Gilgandra SES unit commander Geoff Kiehne, the training totaled around 400 hours of training over six days between all trainees.

He said he was thrilled to have a bunch of new SES volunteers trained up and ready to serve their local community.

"It means reassurance for the community that there will be people in their community ready to respond - we also help and assist in places like Dubbo, Narromine, Warren and Coonabarabran," Mr Kiehne said.

"It's also reassuring to me as unit commander that when the pagers go off, I know someone will be able to respond."

Mr Kiehne said this weekend, the recruits will be starting first part of a four day road crash rescue specialist course - enabling them to assess and stabilise motor vehicle crashes and similar incidents.

He was also very grateful for many new additions to the Gilgandra SES infrastructure, most of which was funded or supported by Gilgandra Shire Council, to match their new recruits.

"The Gilgandra unit is very lucky - we've just commissioned a $750,000 headquarters which includes an emergency operation centre and training facility and where we store our trucks," he said.

"Comparing that to our current headquarters is like comparing a garden shed to a five-star motel. It's purpose built too which is great because it's designed to meet our needs and will make the SES so much more attractive to new members who come along."

Other new equipment on the way for the brigade, according to Mr Kiehne, includes a new storm response trailer and new rescue truck, the latter of which is scheduled to arrive in the end of January 2022.