Unit member John Thirkell said the community would have the opportunity to see the range of equipment the unit used and learn about the type of jobs it responds to.

"We'll have our vehicles on display for the community to have a look at," he said.

"We've got some demonstrations set up to show what sort of skills you can learn in the SES and how those techniques help in emergency events.

"We've also got some interactive displays the community can get involved in."

Mr Thirkell said the Lake Macquarie unit, one of three in the local government area alongside Swansea and Cooranbong, had responded to 205 jobs so far this year.

"We're quite a busy unit," he said. "We may have periods of no jobs for eight or nine weeks, but then all of a sudden a storm hits and we've got 20 call outs."

Mr Thirkell said the open day would allow anyone who has ever thought about joining the service to discuss first-hand what the voluntary work involves.

"We're always looking for more members," he said.

"It's a great opportunity to get in and get involved with your community.

"We've just started storm season, which was on the 1^st of October, so now that we're coming into those periods where we may see an increase in storm activity and requests for assistance, it's always a good opportunity to reach out and try and get more volunteers involved."

The 10am to 2pm event includes a free BBQ. A yearly Forum gym membership is also being given away via the unit's Facebook page.

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