FREMANLTE Sea Rescue has sailed away with a win at the Fire and Emergency Services awards.
Winning the Outstanding Group Operations award, Fremantle Sea Rescue president Mark Zuvela said it was a sense of relief and accomplishment .
“Everyone in the team has been working incredibly hard,” he said.
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READ NOW“We have completed two major projects including building two new custom boats, refitting another boat and converting building to the rescue and operation centre.
“On a lot of these projects, whilst we got assistance, we worked hard to fundraise ourselves.”
The rescue group uses state-of-the-art technology which allows them to monitor and transmit 11 marine radio channels from any smart phone, tablet or computer anywhere in the world.
Mr Zuvela said the centre has 33,000 calls a year and conducts between 600 and 700 rescues.
“All of our radio is controlled via computer and smartphones which gives us increased capabilities for 24 hour a day, 7 days a week radio watch,” he said.
“The technology has been around for a number of years but it didn’t have the multi platform capabilities, we are the first people we know to use that particular software in the Southern Hemisphere.”
Mr Zuvela said the group hopes to open a dedicated training facility and raise money to replace their largest vessel.