Borroloola is located on the eastern coast of the Northern Territory on the Gulf of Carpentaria, approximately 700 kilometres south east of Darwin. The Borroloola district covers an area of about 75,000 square kilometres, and includes the Sir Edward Pellow group of islands and Beatrice Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Both the McArthur River and the Gulf of Carpentaria are renowned for the great fishing!
The district also includes the McArthur River and Merlin Mines, Bing Bong Port, and 21 pastoral properties. The general topography of the district consists of relatively flat plains with coastal hilly outcrops to approximately 125 metres.
By 1984 there was already a separate Volunteer Fire Brigade and an Emergency Service Volunteer Unit servicing Borroloola. At that time, the NTES Unit Officer was Mike Longton. As time went by difficulties were experienced in attracting a sufficient number of members to each separate group, and in 2000/2001 the two groups of volunteers combined to form a Fire and Emergency Response Group (FERG).
The Group carries out the full range of normal Emergency Service tasks, and operates a flood boat for local flood rescue. In addition to the Emergency Service rescue gear, the group has a Toyota Land Cruiser grassfire unit. The Group Headquarters is located at the Borroloola Police Station.
The Borroloola FERGs demonstrated the results of their training real-time in February 2001. On 20 February, due to severe flooding in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Winsome, a State of Emergency was declared in the Borroloola area, and the town was inaccessible for a period of some weeks. Food supplies were initially expected to last only for a matter of three days. On 24 February, the Australian Defence Force, acting for Emergency Management Australia (EMA), airlifted 12 tonnes of essential foodstuffs and one generator into the town from Darwin.
 Captain Burto W of the Borroloola FERGs keeping an eye on the crew members (and the cameraman)!
|  Jacqui P on the back, with Leanne W driving
 Leanne W on the pump, with Lesley G driving
 Floodboat training on the mighty McArthur River
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