Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Support Brigade
Events 2026
Events 2026
9th June 2026
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Support Brigade Annual General Meeting
The brigade’s annual general meeting was held on Tuesday 9th June, 2026. The following field officers and office bearers were either elected or appointed:
| Field Officers | Administration | |||
| Captain | Ben de Leon | President | Chris Robison | |
| Senior Deputy | Glenn Kershaw | Secretary | Paul Brady | |
| Deputy 2 | Rex Callaghan | Treasurer | Stephanie de Leon | |
| Deputy 3 | Stephanie de Leon | Training | Paul Morris | |
| Deputy 4 | Paul Morris | First Aid Officer | Robert Clifton-Smith | |
| Deputy 5 | John Becchio | RFSA Delegate | Mark Dawson & Chris McIntosh | |
| Deputy 6 | Ric Walters | Appointed Positions | ||
| Deputy 7 | Peter Brogan | Berowra Tower Co-ordinator | Peter Brogan | |
| Deputy 8 | Chris Robison | Galston Tower Co-ordinator | John Becchio | |
| Deputy 9 | Robert Clifton- Smith | Callout Officer | Ben de Leon | |
| Community Engagement | John A’Beckett | |||
| Fund Raising | John Dennis | |||
| Social Convenor | Paul Brady | |||
| Equipment Officer | Phil Gallop | |||
| Assistant Equip Officer | Glenn Kershaw | |||
| Assistant Equip - PPE | John Snook | |||
| Station Officer | TBA | |||
| Publicity Officer | TBA | |||
16th May 2026
Monthly Training Day
Ongoing training is an important of RFS Brigades operations and in particular our brigade, as Hornsby Kur-ring-gai Support carries out a broad range of tasks and services from delivering people and equipment, meals, manning the two fire towers in our area, providing Hazard Reduction (HR) kits and bouywalls to name a few. So keeping our training up to date is important for the members.
Please see the examples below of the equipment we regularly train on
1. AC Generators
Many of the exercises and events Support Brigade is part of are located in the bush or other locations away from a reliable source of electricity. To overcome this, Support supplies AC generators to ensure a reliable source of power is available when needed. These generators might run laptops, lights, or even a coffee urn.
Here, members are being trained on the details of AC generator operation.
2.Variable Message Sign (VMS)
The VMS is a useful tool to inform the local community of upcoming meetings, to outline RFS plans for hazard reduction burns in their area, or provide other critical information.
Support deploys these to selected areas at the request of the Fire Control Centre.
Members are shown how to set up the VMS
3.The Light Pole
This consists of an inflatable tube, filled with air from a fan, and with a powerful light built into the top. Support deploys these to locations where work has continued or is expected to continue into the evening.
Members are assisting in setting up the light.
4.Pressure Washer
Support is responsible for keeping its vehicles clean and in good order, so after training, members used the pressure washer to clean some of our vehicles.
8th May 2026
Assist State Logistics Centre with Vehicle GVM weighing
Four Support members were tasked with assisting RFS Engineering with vehicle GVM weighing at the RFS State Logistics Centre. This was something the brigade had not done before.
The main reason we were there was to supply bodies to help with confirming the fully loaded weight of RFS vehicles. But we did more than that. We moved vehicles, emptied and filled the water tanks, returned one vehicle to its brigade, and helped lay the scales used to weigh the vehicles.
It was an enjoyable experience to not only to visit the new State Logistics Centre, gaining a better understanding of the work carried out there, but it also gave our members a chance to meet some great people.
They were thrilled by the brigade members enthusiastic help and said they would definitely call on Support's assistance in the near future.
It was a full day, which our members found a rewarding experience.
We're currently updating our website to the latest version. This process is almost finished. Currently we're at the stage of transferring files.
One piece of news is that Paul Morris a deputy with dual membership with Kur-Ring-Gai has taken over the role of brigade training officer. Paul brings with him a wealth of experience and is already doing a great job.
Welcome to the role, Paul.
New Support Service
One of the characteristics that helps define Support Brigade is change. The Brigade has changed significantly since it was first created, taking on many new tasks over the years. An example of this is the repair of live hoses. These are the yellow hoses you see on the backs of the large RFS trucks. Typically there are two, one on either side. In the past, if a hose sprang a leak, it was simply discarded. As you might imagine, these hoses are not cheap. So a new service was created by Support where we now carry a small stock of repaired hoses. When a call comes in for a replacement, we take one of these spares to the brigade, replace the defective hose and return it to Support for repair. Afterwards, the hose joins our stock. This service appears to be working well.
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What's Happening
There haven't been many updates this year, none in fact, as we have been working in conjunction with our hosting company to update the framework of our website.
Events 2025
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Support Brigade Annual General Meeting
The brigade’s annual general meeting was held on Tuesday 10th June, 2025. The following field officers and office bearers were either elected or appointed:
| Field Officers | Administration | |||
| Captain | Ben de Leon | President | Chris Robison | |
| Senior Deputy | Glenn Kershaw | Secretary | Rick Walters | |
| Deputy 2 | Rex Callaghan | Treasurer | Stephanie de Leon | |
| Deputy 3 | Stephanie de Leon | Training | Rex Callaghan (Acting) | |
| Deputy 4 | John Becchio | First Aid Officer | Robert Clifton-Smith | |
| Deputy 5 | Rick Walters | RFSA Delegate | Paul Brady & Mark Dawson | |
| Deputy 6 | Nick Rowley | Appointed Positions | ||
| Deputy 7 | Chris Robison | Berowra Tower Co-ordinator | Peter Brogan | |
| Deputy 8 | John Goldsmith | Galston Tower Co-ordinator | John Becchio | |
| Deputy 9 | Robert Clifton- Smith | Callout Officer | Ben de Leon | |
| Community Engagement | John A’Beckett | |||
| Fund Raising | John Dennis | |||
| Social Convenor | Paul Brady | |||
| Equipment Officer | Phil Gallop | |||
| Assistant Equip Officer | Glenn Kershaw | |||
| Assistant Equip - PPE | John Snook | |||
| Station Officer | John Goldsmith | |||
Welcome to 2025
Once again we have been blessed with a quiet fire season, but the Brigade has still been busy:
• Continuation of the District Brigade Logistical Support Process.
• Support station and equipment maintenance, monthly vehicle checks
• involvement in various RFS exercises
• involvement in and support of the RFS Support Forum
• Supply Hose Kits for planned HRs
• CABA cylinder refill, pickup and delivery
• Manning of Galston and Berowra fire towers – More Total Fire Bans than ever, despite the rain, also combined tower meetings and improved tower coordination and training
• Meal pickup and delivery for volunteers on training courses
• Hosting Berowra Tower Visits by operational brigades
• And changeover management of Group Captain’s allocated vehicles and other vehicle pickup and delivery as requestioned, often at short notice
Events 2024
Welcome to 2024
Despite the quiet fire season, the Brigade has still been busy:
• Continuation of the District Brigade Logistical Support Process.
• Support station and equipment maintenance, monthly vehicle checks
• Supply Hose Kits for planned HRs
• CABA cylinder refill, pickup and delivery
• Manning of Galston and Berowra fire towers – More Total Fire Bans than ever, despite the rain.
• Meal pickup and delivery for volunteers on training courses
• Hosting Berowra Tower Visits by operational brigades
• A successful recruitment day by Galston Tower
• And Changeover management of Group Captain’s allocated vehicles and other vehicle pickup and delivery as requestioned.
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Support Brigade Annual General Meeting
The brigade’s annual general meeting was held on Tuesday 18th June, 2024. The following field officers and office bearers were either elected or appointed:
| Field Officers | Administration | |||
| Captain | Ben de Leon | President | Rex Callaghan | |
| Senior Deputy | David Scott | Secretary | Rick Walters | |
| Deputy 2 | Rex Callaghan | Treasurer | Stephanie de Leon | |
| Deputy 3 | Stephanie de Leon | Training | Nick Rowley | |
| Deputy 4 | Nick Rowley | First Aid Officer | Sue Williams | |
| Deputy 5 | Chris Robison | RFSA Delegate | Paul Brady & Mark Dawson | |
| Deputy 6 | Rck Walters | Appointed Positions | ||
| Deputy 7 | Glenn Kershaw | Berowra Tower Co-ordinator | Peter Brogan | |
| Deputy 8 | John Goldsmith | Galston Tower Co-ordinator | John Becchio | |
| Deputy 9 | Paul Brady | Callout Officer | Ben de Leon | |
| Deputy 10 | Robert Clifton-Smith | Community Engagement | John A’Beckett | |
| Fund Raising | John Dennis | |||
| Social Convenor | Paul Brady | |||
| Euipment Officer | David Scott | |||
| Assistant Equip Officer | Rex Callaghan | |||
| Assistant Equip - PPE | John Snook | |||
| Station Officer | John Goldsmith | |||
Events 2023
The Mayoral dinner will be held on the 25th of August. This is an annual event put on by Hornsby Council to than RFS volunteers in the shire for their service.
A conference will be held at the RFS Training Centre at Dubbo from the 4th to the 6th of July for Support Brigades in NSW and those brigades wishing to establish a separate Support Brigade. The conference will consist of a series of round table discussions to learn from each other. More information will be provided at a later date.
HK Support will be hosting the RFSA on Thursday 3rd of August at 7pm, at Support Station. All are welcome to attend.
HK Support was heavily involved in setting up and assisting in the running of the District Exercise on Saturday the 1st of July. From feedback the event ran very well and Supports assistance was much appreciated.
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Support Brigade Annual General Meeting
The brigade’s annual general meeting was held on Tuesday 13th June, 2023. The following field officers and office bearers were either elected or appointed:
| Field Officers | Administration | |||
| Captain | Ben de Leon | President | Rex Callaghan | |
| Senior Deputy | David Scott | Secretary | Alan Barnwell | |
| Deputy 2 | Rex Callaghan | Treasurer | Stephanie de Leon | |
| Deputy 3 | David Dale | Training | Rex Callaghan | |
| Deputy 4 | Stephanie de Leon | First Aid Officer | Sue Williams | |
| Deputy 5 | Alan Barnwell | RFSA Delegate | Paul Brady | |
| Deputy 6 | John Goldsmith | Appointed Positions | ||
| Deputy 7 | Glenn Kershaw | Berowra Tower Co-ordinator | Peter Brogan | |
| Deputy 8 | :Paul Brady | Galston Tower Co-ordinator | Paul Browning | |
| Deputy 9 | Rick Walters | Callout Officer | Ben de Leon | |
| Deputy 10 | Robert Clifton-Smith | Community Engagement | John A’Beckett | |
| Fund Raising | John Dennis | |||
| Social Convenor | Paul Brady | |||
| Assistant Training | Phil Gallop | |||
| Euipment Officer | David Dale | |||
| Assistant Equip - Vehicles | David Scott | |||
| Assistant Equip - PPE | John Snook | |||
| Station Officer | John Goldsmith | |||
Support Brigade will be hosting a fund rasiing BBQ at Bunnings, Dural store, on Saturday 4th March this year. If you'd like to learn more about what Support and the Galston Fire Tower do, or simply like to sample a great snag, come down and join us.
Events 2022
Recent Activities
31st December, 2022
That’s it for 2022. Support Brigade volunteers have been busy throughout the year, not just in the fire season. Below is a list of some of the tasks carried out since the last update.
- Continuation of the District Brigade Logistical Support Process.
- Reciprocal visit by HK Support volunteers to Southern Highlands Support Brigade
- Support station and equipment maintenance, monthly vehicle checks
- Brigade involvement in two search and rescue operations.
- Supply Hose Kits for planned HRs
- CABA cylinder refill, pickup and delivery
- Pick up and/or deliver volunteers to Sydney Domestic Terminal
- Manning of Galston and Berowra fire towers
- Meal pickup and delivery for volunteers on training courses
- Supply of water to the SES
- And Changeover management of Group Captain’s allocated vehicles and other vehicle pickup and delivery as requestioned.
Looking back to earlier in the year, below is a picture of the devistation at Wisman's Ferry from the flood.
That’s it for 2022. Here’s wishing everyone a happy, peaceful Christmas and a quiet, bush fire free 2023.
8th August 2022
While Covid-19 has still impacted the Support Brigade, the brigade has still been quite busy. As always, the health and well-being of our volunteers is the brigade’s number one responsibility. However, by following Covid-19 protection protocols and with the increased vaccination rate of our volunteers, below are some of the tasks the brigade has been involved with recently:
- Commencement of a new District Brigade Logistical Support Process. This is the delivery of material and equipment to various brigades on a weekly basis
- Provision of staging area management and food deliveries for the Wisemans Ferry flood clean-up and for the NEM medal presentation for those that missed out on the earlier presentations from Support and other brigades
- NAVEX exercise, Saturday, 25th June 2022. The brigade provided the following:
- Catering transport on behalf of the Catering Brigade
- Staging area management in the Cowan Truck Stop
- Resource distribution to various locations within the Mt Kuring-gai / Cowan area
- Assistance with the metal car ‘mock-up’ at Cowan airbase.
- Familiarisation training of the new Support 12 Bravo bus
- Support station and equipment maintenance, monthly vehicle checks
- Search and rescue
- CABA cylinder refill, pickup and delivery
- Pick up and deliver volunteers to Sydney Domestic Terminal
- Manning of fire towers
- Meal pickup and delivery for volunteers on training courses
- Changeover management of Group Captain’s allocated vehicles and other vehicle pickup and delivery as required, out-of-area vehicle movements including motorhomes
- Fire Danger sign cover placement and removal
- Provision of brigade volunteers to assist the SES with the operation of BFIL.
District Exercise 2022 was cancelled for this year.
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Support Brigade Annual General Meeting
The brigade’s annual general meeting was held on Tuesday 14th June, 2022. The following field officers and office bearers were either elected or appointed:
| Field Officers | Administration | |||
| Captain | Ben de Leon | President | Rex Callaghan | |
| Senior Deputy | Geoff Percival | Secretary | Alan Barnwell | |
| Deputy 2 | Rex Callaghan | Treasurer | Stephanie de Leon | |
| Deputy 3 | Glenn Kershaw | Training | Rex Callaghan | |
| Deputy 4 | Stephanie de Leon | First Aid Officer | Sue Williams | |
| Deputy 5 | David Scott | RFSA Delegate | Paul Brady | |
| Deputy 6 | John Goldsmith | Appointed Positions | ||
| Deputy 7 | Alan Barnwell | Berowra Tower Co-ordinator | Peter Brogan | |
| Deputy 8 | David Dale | Galston Tower Co-ordinator | Paul Browning | |
| Deputy 9 | John Nelson | Callout Officer | Bronwen Bowden | |
| Deputy 10 | Paul Brady | Community Engagement | John A’Beckett | |
| Fund Raising | John Dennis | |||
| Social Convenor | Paul Brady | |||
| Assistant Training | Phil Gallop | |||
| Assistant Equip - Vehicles | David Scott | |||
| Assistant Equip - PPE | John Snook | |||
| Station Officer | John Goldsmith | |||
During counting, the District Manager made the following comments & invited questions from members:
- Central Dispatch is due in Hornsby Kur-ring-gai on 29 September 2022. There will be training in it beforehand
- Status Panels in vehicles will then become active
- 000 calls will go straight to RFS HQ before dispatching Brigades
- RFS funding has been increased & will allow for permanency of the mitigation crews
- FCC appreciated Support’s hours put into some tasks and acknowledged that there was no standard training for some of our tasks.
Awarding of National Emergency Medal and a Commissioner’s Certificate of Service
On Thursday 28th April 2022 many of our members were awarded the National Emergency Medal and a Commissioner’s Certificate of Service for their service during the 2019/20 fire season.