Exclusive: Rural Fire Service founder Phil Koperberg believes the state’s firefighters are stretched to the limit, warning the worst is still to come | p_hannam MWhitbourn rachelclun
"People are nervous and they have a right to be," he said, adding that with the dry conditions across NSW and forecasts of more heat, "the worst is yet to come".
"We're struggling to get volunteers at night," he said. Taking such shifts "stuffs up two days for you", he said, and it also meant potential safety issues if drivers or other staffers were effectively up for 24 hours or more. Tuesday's forecast is likely to be the next big test for crews with temperatures for much of inland coastal NSW likely to climb into the 40s. Sydney is expecting a maximum of 32 degrees on Tuesday and Penrith 43 degrees.“We have enough blokes, but it’s just a question of resources like water tankers and water itself," said one Fire and Rescue NSW employee, who didn’t want to be named.
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