The 2024 annual Women in Rescue Hume event took place in Cobram on March 16th and broke records for the numbers of attendees at the Hume event. 

Founded in 2018, the WIR event was established for female volunteers, by female volunteers and took place at six locations across Victoria.

The event in Cobram on March 16, was the host to almost 40 female VICSES volunteers, with approximately 250 state-wide, growing significantly from last year.

VICSES chief executive Greg Leach said doubling the participant size is magnificent for the women attending, as well as women from other agencies.

“It’s fantastic we can provide these members with an environment to work together, train and learn from each other,” he said.

“The aim of the event is to knowledge share, so the women can experiment with different techniques and handling of equipment and share this back within the agency and their fellow volunteers.

“Our female first responders at VICSES are incredible, and attend highly complex, challenging incidents. [The] event showcases their life-saving skills, using the latest rescue technology and training.”

The day focused on the hands-on, practical components of rescue operations, with a variety of specialised training and exercises to cover the diverse capabilities volunteers require during different emergencies.

Currently, almost 34 per cent of VICSES’ volunteers are female. Shepparton Search and Rescue warmly welcome female volunteers to join us and contribute to our local communitee.