Christopher John Ryder

I am the Manager of Remote Area Firefighting and Specialised Operations within the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. My role has responsibility for the strategic management, direction, training and development of various programmes within the Service. These include the Rescue, Aviation Rescue Crew Programme, Remote Area Operations, Rapid Aerial Response Teams Programme, Heavy Plant Programme, training and programme coordinating of the Operational and Mitigation Support Services Group. I currently manage six staff for the various programmes for the Service. I further strategically manage the Rural Fire Services 500 volunteer Remote Area Operators in 32 District Teams. I ensure the direction, training and equipment gives the ability for volunteer remote area operators the highest ability to achieve their objectives in a safe, efficient and enjoyable manner. I represent the NSW Rural Fire Service on the NSW State Rescue Board, Capability Working Group, which undertook an audit in the provision of rescue throughout NSW and identified gaps in service delivery. This lead to the introduction of Road Crash Rescue into the NSW Rural Fire Service. I have developed and implemented the strategic program for the implementation of Road Crash Recue into 16 Rural Fire Service Brigades located in remote and isolated areas of NSW. This included the development of training, design of purpose built vehicles, research and procurement of rescue equipment and ongoing consultation with key stakeholders in the Rural Fire Service, other agencies and local communities. I have developed and implemented the Aviation Rescue Crew Programme into the NSW Rural Fire Service, which saw the NSW Rural Fire Service the only Emergency Service in Australia to issue the National Qualification, Certificate 3, Aviation Rescue Crewman. This capability enables the NSW Rural Fire Service to be a leader in aviation rescue and assist other agencies such as NSW State Emergency Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). This including ongoing consultation with other agencies, aircraft contractors on the implementation, conducting of risk assessments, development of training, operational protocols, aviation winching and rescue winching standards. I further manage the Rural Fire Service Heavy Plant Programme, including the Heavy Plant Register and Contracts. This includes the contract management of 600 private contractors and 4,100 items of plant in a “call when needed” contact arrangement, the development and training of the NSW Rural Fire Service Heavy Plant managers and Supervisors training packages.

• Certificate of Registration General Land Rescue Operator Registration Number 7803 (Nov 2001)
• Certificate in Automotive Electrical – Trade (Dec 1990)
• Certificate of Policing (Jan 1998)
• Incident Emergency Management Course Level 1 and 2(Nov 1999)
• Operations Support Group Team Leaders Course (Feb 2006)
• Course in Occupational Health and Safety Consultation (Jul 2009)
• Train Small Groups BSZ2404A (Oct 2001)
• Workplace Assessor (Oct 2001)
• Police Rescue Operators Course (Jul 2001)
• Search Advisors Course (Oct 2000)
• Investigators Course (Mar 2000)
• Field Training Officer Driver Development Course (Oct 2001)
• Field Training Officer Driver Development Four Wheel Drive (Oct 2001)
• Rooftop Safety and Awareness Course (May 2000)
• Field Training Officers Course (Jun 1998)
• Bomb Appraisal Technician Course (May 2000)
• Search Awareness Module (Apr 2000)
• Operations Support Group Course (Jun 1999)
• Snow Mobile Instructors Course (Jun 2004)
• All Terrain Vehicle Operators Course (Nov 2006)
• Brief Managers Education Program (Jun 2009)
• Safe Entry and Work in a Confined Space Course (Feb 2006)