ATTENDING to road trauma, storm damage and floods are just a few of the many roles associated with joining the State Emergency Service (SES).
Founded in 1972, the Swan Hill SES unit comprises 22 members and in recent weeks, 10 crew members were awarded national medals, five-year, 10-year and 15-year service medals to honour their voluntary contribution.
Retired shire worker Colin Davis, was awarded for 35 years’ involvement with the SES.
“I first joined in Wycheproof, back in those days it used to be the army sort of thing and then it just went back to the SES,” Mr Davis told The Guardian.
“I spent about 10 years in Wycheproof when I was living there and have been involved here (Swan Hill) for about 25 years.”
Mr Davis said while he didn’t hold any official titles during his 35 years as an emergency responder, his role as a volunteer had filled many shoes.
“I just went along to a meeting one night in Wycheproof and thought it would be something I would enjoy,” he said.
“It’s a role that involves a whole heap of different things like going out to properties to help with storm damage or being first on the scene of a road rescue.”
To become a qualified volunteer, Mr Davis undertook a series of training provided by the SES including first aid, road rescue training, strength and endurance and chainsaw training.
“Once you’re trained you just do the job,” he said.
“We have a lot of car crashes and a lot of tough times but we keep at it and you talk about it together at the unit.”
Alongside his SES involvement, Mr Davis has also been heavily involved in the County Fire Authority (CFA) having been a past lieutenant in Wycheproof.
“I also joined the CFA in Wycheproof and have been with the CFA for over 40 years,” he said.
“I’m still involved today, but don’t do as much as I used to.”
When asked of his most memorable experience on the job, Mr Davis said the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires stuck out the most.
“We took a crew down from here, it was a long time ago now, but it’s something you never forget,” he said.
“It’s good to have the skills for when something like that does happen and you help where you can because you never know when you might need it.”
Now at the age of 72, Mr Davis is retired and has stepped down from his role as an emergency responder.
“I’m now getting a bit old for it so I’ve stepped down this year and haven’t done much the last couple of years,” he said.
“I’d prefer to let the young people get into it. There are more and more young people now showing interest which is really good to see.
“I’d recommend anyone to join the SES, you meet a lot of people and see them come and go, but it’s kept me busy and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Swan Hill unit controller Darren Barnes said the Swan Hill unit was continually in the search for new members and encouraged anyone who may be interested to get in touch.
“We are always looking for new members and will do whatever we can to help get them on board,” he said.
“All the training is provided with no cost for the member.”
Mr Barnes was one of two local SES members to receive a national medal from the government.
The unit controller congratulated all members who received recognition and said long-serving members play valuable roles within the community.
“Most of our members are long-serving members of the unit,” he said.
“You’ll find that a volunteer in one department is often a volunteer somewhere else.
“There is a lot of training required to get to the skill level and if you can keep a member for a long period of time, it gives you the chance to pass along their knowledge to new members.”
Mr Barnes said while the primary role of an SES volunteer is to attend road rescues, the behind-the-scenes work, such as administration, communicant and publicity, were also important roles to fill.
“We also assist the public with searches, rescues and weather events, but it’s not just being out in the field, there is a lot of background stuff that goes on as well,” he said.
“Administration and communication people are just as important as people on the front line, if not more important at times.”
For more details about joining the Swan Hill SES, contact 9256 9500 or visit the office at 1/17 Rutherford Street.
