It was all hands on deck for staff from UNE Life, Residential and Facility Management Services this past weekend when the call came to house over 300 Rural Fires Services (RFS) on Friday night.

Resources to accommodate the RFS, provide dinner and breakfast as well as transport them to town to buy toiletries and other supplies, were mobilised in less than two hours.

“It was an amazing effort and I thank the staff who volunteered their time to help house the RFS at such short notice,” Dave Schmude, Director of UNE Life said.

“The firefighters have had a very busy start to the season and many of them have been away from their families for extended periods of time. It was a pleasure to support them over the weekend.”

Two hundred and seventy five firefighters slept in UNE’s residential colleges while another 50 bedded down in SportUNE on swags loaned from The Armidale School.

The contingent left Saturday morning for Dorrigo from where they will help other firefighters battling fires at Bees Nest, Tenterfield and Glenn Innes.