The Lightning Ridge State Emergency Service Mines Rescue Unit is a Unit of the New South Wales State Emergency Service within the Macquarie Division. The Unit consists of 20 volunteers and carries out a variety of tasks within the Lightning Ridge Community. These tasks range from flood, storm and tempest operations, Motor Vehicle Accident Rescues, domestic and industrial Rescue operations and our most important function in this community, Mines Rescue.

The Lightning Ridge Unit consists of volunteers and is predominantly funded by the local community, particularly people involved in the Opal mining industry in the area, because of the Units Mines Rescue function. Equipment and limited funding is also made available from time to time by local and State Governments.