Maitland SES is alerting people to be very wary of bogus “volunteers” who cannot produce identification and who want to check properties.
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This warning from Ian Robinson, controller of Maitland SES, came on Thursday after a report on Facebook by a woman in McKeachie’s Run.
The woman said two men in a ute, claiming to be from the SES, had called, wanting to check her backyard because of a downed tree they had been called about.
“Their ute had no SES markings and the guys had no identification cards or anything,” the message said.
The woman felt their story was “sketchy,” particularly since there were no trees in her yard.
Mr Robinson told the Mercury: “I am aware of this issue and those people were certainly not our members.
“All SES vehicles are very clearly marked and all SES volunteers, if challenged, should produce a valid identification card,” Mr Robinson said.
“We are asking people to be very wary of anyone who claims to be an SES volunteer, yet cannot properly identify themselves.
“And in such situations, the police should be alerted.”