After an agreement was recently reached between the ACT Rural Fire Service and the ACT State Emergency Service, Rivers Unit is once again paused to provide ground support services to the ACT Rural Fire Service’s aerial and remote area capability.  Rivers performed this function in the past and still has many members who are experienced the operation of helibases including management of the helibase, marshalling, hot refuelling and communications. 

Rivers has provided heli support to quite a few firefighting operations. Most notably, Rivers Unit operated a helibase for rotary-wing aircraft that were involved in aerial fire fighting during the January 2003 fires.