Response capabilities of the State Emergency Service (SES) within the Western Suburbs have received a major boost this week with 10 new applicants successfully completing their induction course at Northshore SES. Nick Elliott, Acting Local Manager of the Northshore SES unit said all 10 new members had proven themselves over the last few weeks to have the drive and determination required to become valuable volunteers. “Everything that we do relies on volunteers, and when the emergency calls start coming through, the one thing we need is volunteers”. “Without them we have nothing, so being able to increase our membership by over 15% in one go is simply fantastic”.
The new members come from all over the Western Suburbs area, and some of them have been on a waiting list to join for almost a year. Nick clarified the following: “At the height of the Queensland floods (a few months ago) there were more than 60 people on our waiting list, all vying to be offered one of a few places on the induction course”. “The successful applicants then had to sit a 6 week induction course, whereby they were taught the basics to get them started”. “Once completed, they become probationary members which allows them to commence regular training and to be assigned to a rescue / callout team”.
“SES volunteering is not for the feint hearted” says Nick. “It takes a very special person to become an SES volunteer in this day and age – someone willing to give up significant amounts of their time to help others”. “With training as well as emergency callouts, the hours that some volunteers put in just beggars belief”. Now in his 7th year of being an SES volunteer, Nick says that he still gets a buzz every time he receives a message on his mobile phone advising of a callout. “But what continually surprises me” says Nick, “is that so many of the people we help have no idea that we (the SES) are volunteers”. “Some are really shocked when they find out that we had to leave our jobs (or not go to work at all) so as to be able to respond to their call for help; so the way I see it, the more people we have out there wearing the orange overalls the better”.
Nick said that this new intake brought membership levels at Northshore to around 60.
General Information about Northshore SES
The Northshore unit is based in Mount Hawthorn and covers the local government areas of Cambridge, Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park, Nedlands, Peppermint Grove, Perth, Subiaco, and Vincent. Anyone interested in joining the Northshore SES unit, can contact the unit on 9444 9440 or visit their website at www.northshoreses.com.au for further details. School visits and other bookings can be arranged through the Northshore SES unit directly. Please contact the events section on 9444 9440 or email at events@northshoreses.com.au
