Back in 1976, Sgt Ray Tyson, the second boss of what was then known as the NSW Police Rescue Squad said: "In police rescue, there is no such word as can't. It CAN be done."

Current and former squad members are preparing to celebrate 80 years of protecting public safety and among them is Brian Carr, the one-time boss of Newcastle Rescue Squad who joined the NSW Hunter region's SES after his retirement in 1999.

"I was involved for 37 years until I retired," Mr Carr said.

"It all started in response to suicides at The Gap. Of course, it was during World War II and there was a lot of unemployment because of the war.

"The Gap was a popular fishing spot at the time for many unemployed people trying to get food and some would be washed off the rocks there.

"I joined the cadets at Redfern in 1960 and ended up at Wollongong. After the Granville disaster in January 1977, rescue services were under the microscope and there was a lot of tension between them."

NSW Police Rescue Squad was founded in 1942 by Police Commissioner William Mackay to recover the bodies of those who died by suicide or rescuing people trapped on cliffs, particularly at The Gap, Sydney's most notorious spot.

The task of establishing what was then known as the NSW Police Cliff Rescue Squad was entrusted to ex-Sydney Harbour Bridge rigger Harry Ware.

Harry was not a sworn-in constable but he had prior involvement with the National Emergency Service of NSW (a distant forerunner to today's State Emergency Service) and he trained the early rescue crew and was the first boss.

He was appointed to the position of special constable with the rank of sergeant into the NSW Police in 1946.

In 1958 the then Commissioner of Police Colin Delaney changed the title to the Police Rescue Squad. Sgt Ray Tyson succeeded Harry Ware when he retired in 1962.

Now known as the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, it has a permanent base at Zetland in south Sydney and a number of units around NSW including Cooma in the Snowy Mountains region; Goulburn on the Southern Tablelands; Bathurst in the Central West; Lismore on the north coast, and the Illawarra, Blue Mountains and Hunter regions.

It was the unit leading rescue operations at the Granville train disaster, the Newcastle earthquake, the Thredbo landslide and other emergencies up to and including the Lindt Cafe siege.

And it's thanks to veterans like Mr Carr that the squad is still going.

Mr Carr recalled tensions between Police, NSW Fire Brigades and NSW Ambulance Service to run a state rescue service particularly after the Granville train disaster.

The NSW Ambulance Service had Q-vans and the Fire Brigade Employees' Union was running an ongoing campaign to become the primary rescue agency in NSW.

In March 1988, the then NSW Labor government announced a comprehensive review of the state's rescue policy led by former soldier and recently retired Australian Federal Police Commissioner Major-General Ron Grey.

He conducted the review with the help of a small support team including Mr Carr.

"We travelled NSW and other parts of Australia to research, consult and take submissions," Mr Carr said. "It was a lengthy process and on June 28, 1988, the final report was presented to the new Liberal Government."

"It was a political move but it was the right decision."

When Mr Carr joined the squad, rescue gear was primitive compared to today's equipment.

"I'm impressed with the technology improvements. It would have made our job a lot easier, particularly drones.

"But it's always been about lives. You are saving lives, but there's also the sad side, where people lose their lives.

"The jobs carried out are many and varied: recovering decomposing bodies from cliffs, cutting people out of the wreckage of crashed cars, or disarming improvised explosive devices.

"Then, we rescue animals as well as people and we have the kids with fingers in the plug holes. And it's never one finger - always four."

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Today cliff rescues are still common but the squad are now highly-trained abseilers with sophisticated equipment.

They are also the primary bomb response team and a large bulk of their work is attending motor vehicle accidents. Using the jaws of life, they extricate men, women, frightened and injured children from their twisted metal prisons without further injury.

Many don't make it. Sadly, suicides are still a mainstay of the squad.

NSW Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Commander, Chief Inspector Brenton Charlton, said the unit has an extremely proud history of serving and helping the people of NSW since its inception in 1942.

"The rescue squad commenced with just one member and one vehicle, with some very basic equipment. Today, we have a strength of more than 130 officers, over 30 specialised vehicles and state-of-the-art rescue equipment.

"The squad is highly regarded as one of the best rescue units in the world. This is testament to the countless number of lives that have been saved during its history.

"Whilst the equipment has advanced over the years, the one thing that hasn't changed is the commitment of the men and women who have proudly worn the white overalls which are unique to this section of the NSW Police Force.

"No matter the conditions, they will continue to help those in their hour of need.

"To recognise this special occasion, a formal dinner has been planned for August which will be attended by both serving and former members."

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