about us

The Blue Mountains SES Unit is an emergency service organisation of over 100 volunteer members. We have members of all ages and experience, and can find satisfying and challenging roles for all members.

We have two bases located along the main road across the Blue Mountains, the Great Western Highway. These bases are located at Katoomba in the west and at Glenbrook in the east.

Our Unit is divided into two rescue response teams based at these locations and a Headquarters (operations, communications, logistics and management teams) at Katoomba. Our Headquarters is located at Katoomba where we share a modern emergency centre with the NSW Fire Brigade and Rural Fire Service.

We are supported by Blue Mountains City Council through the provision of our operating budget and the management of our buildings and vehicle fleet. Occasional donations from generous members of the community assist us to supplement our income and improve our services.

Since the Unit’s inception in 1957 our members have been involved in a large number of emergencies throughout the Blue Mountains and NSW. Our activities have included:

• organising one of the first evacuation exercises for the greater Sydney area in the 1960s
• assisting Police with searches
• providing logistical support to the Blue Mountains Rural Fire Service with large fires in the city such as those in 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2002.
• providing rescue teams to assist with storms throughout Sydney and the rest of the state
• providing rescue teams to the Thredbo landslide
• assisting at a range of community events throughout the city including fairs, fetes and Clean-up Australia Day.