Inspector Frank Finlay will be the duty commander based in Albury, with responsibility for 10 stations as far west as Barham.

In travelling to some of the smaller fire stations in rural areas, Inspector Finlay will also look at ensuring they have enough volunteer firefighter numbers.

“It’s sometimes hard to not only retain the firefighters, but with recruitment, there’s a small number of people in those towns,” he said.

“Some of the older guys who have been doing it for 20-30 years now are still left holding the mantle.

“It’s about encouraging those younger ones to take up a role.”

While most of NSW is in drought after little rain during the winter months, Inspector Finlay said he expected a normal fire season for Albury.

“Even though it looks green on top, we do have a lot of dry undergrowth and the forests around the area are also a lot higher than what they would normally be this time of year,” he said.

“It can still be a fire hazard, and they’re fast running fires in the short grass.”

Small spurts of rain have been keeping the fire danger under control, for now.

Inspector Finlay will be in charge at fire scenes, working with other emergency services, and said the way they collaborate will be “business as usual”.

Before this, he was a station officer in the busy Sydney region and knows he will have a different challenge in a rural area, especially with fewer resources.

Fire and Rescue NSW zone commander Superintendent Stewart Alexander said Inspector Finlay would bring extensive operational experience to the role.

“Frank is very well aware of the challenges of emergency management and response with command experience,” he said.

“He has a keen interest in the wellbeing of firefighters being uniquely placed as a long-term member of the Fire and Rescue peer support program.”

With daylight savings about to begin, Inspector Finlay said it was a good opportunity for people to check their smoke alarm batteries.

He said smoke alarms only last for 10 years and it has been just over 10 years since having them in homes was made a legal requirement, so many could need replacing.