Nick Elliott Acting Local Manager advises that Northshore SES unit is very pleased to welcome the latest round of new recruits to the team, with 9 new members signing up to ‘bolster the ranks’
After months of waiting, an eager group of potential volunteers were invited to the August 3rd Information Night, where they found out exactly what being and SES volunteer meant. As a result, 9 of the attendees agreed that they wanted to sign-up, and this week they will commence their Induction training.
Acting Local Manager, Nick Elliott, explained that becoming a member at Northshore is not just about turning up and filling in a form. “We run a very open, honest and somewhat rigorous application procedure to ensure that all new members are fully aware of what our expectations will be of them.” Nick summarised the process as follows:
1) Up to 25 persons from our waiting list are invited to attend an information night.
2) We show 4 x DVD’s (20 minutes total) that provide excellent insight into what being an SES member means.
3) We run through a PowerPoint that spells out what we expect of our members, and what they can expect of us in return.
4) We run through an up to date photo slideshow offering an insight into what the Northshore SES unit has done within the last few years.
5) Once the formalities are complete, we offer a quick tour of the unit
6) Finally, we have a ‘meet and greet’ session with the whole unit where everyone gets to enjoy beers, some hot finger food and have a good chat with each other. Those persons that then want to fill in an application form are encouraged to do so.
At the end of the night, the Committee meet in private and discuss each applicant in person, to decide whether they will be offered a place or not. If more places are offered than are available, then we may also offer ‘deferred entry’ places.
Nick added “We know that the Northshore application process is far more stringent than most other units, and we appreciate that many of the prospective volunteers are scared off when they hear phrases such as ‘minimum attendance requirements’ and ‘duty team rosters’. However, the result of this, is that we end up with a membership who are 100% committed to the cause, all of whom are fully aware of what we will expect of them as a member of the Northshore unit, which in turn means that our ability to turn out a team, when required, is almost unparalleled.”
“We tend to hold our volunteer numbers at around the 60 mark, and we already have 9 on the waiting list for next time” said Nick.
Northshore SES unit covers the local government area of Nedlands, Claremont, Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove, Mosman Park, Subiaco, Cambridge, Vincent and Perth.
Anyone interested in joining the waiting list or simply finding out more about SES volunteering, can contact the Northshore unit directly on 9444 9440 or visit their website at www.northshoreses.com.au for further details.
