The protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of the Brigade. Fighting fire is obviously the main and most frequent role the we find ourselves in. Some of the more publicised fires that the Brigade has attended include the July and September 1977 fires, the tragic 1983 Grays Point fire where three fellow fire fighters lost their lives, the March 1985 fires, the Royal National Park fires in 1988 and the firestorm of January 1994 (See Como-Jannali Fire Movie (765K).) As in any major fire, the Brigade was totally committed with all three fire boats spending several days in the field.
Because many residences, parks and camping areas within Sutherland Shire are inaccessible by road, the Brigade is utilised by all emergency services, including the Ambulance service for medical evacuations, the Police for search and rescue, the MSB Waterways Authority for boat fires and accidents and the State Emergency Service for storm and flood damage.
The Brigade has become involved with several community activities. The major fund raising event for the Brigade is staging a fireworks night on the Queen's birthday holiday weekend. The river setting by the Brigade station attracts large crowds, especially young families. The Brigade also does a Santa Run on Christmas day, and delivers hundreds of small bags of donated items for children.