The 1990s and early 2000s saw significant changes in the NSWFB and in firefighting as a whole . Development in training and equipment saw the more widespread use of Breathing Apparatus and Thermal Imaging Cameras , along with improved Personal Protective Equipment and more modern appliances . In 1991 , NSWFB took over primary rescue response from the NSW Police in a number of areas in Sydney . This saw a shift in the brigade , as they began to increase their capabilities in general and specialist rescue . This period also saw a number of major emergencies across the state , including the 1991 Palm Grove Hostel Fire , the 1994 Bushfires , the 1995 Speed Street Fire , the 1997 Thredbo Landslide , the 1997 Bushfires , the 1999 Glenbrook Train Derailment , the 1999 Sydney Hailstorm , the 2001 Bushfires , the 2002/03 Bushfires , the 2003 Waterfall Train Derailment and the 2006 Bushfires
2001 Bushfires
Black Christmas bushfires
Fire and Rescue NSW