Outstanding SES volunteers recognised at annual awards
SESVA President David Price said on behalf of the SESVA I would like to congratulate the finalists and the recipients on receiving their awards. On this occasion everyone is a winner as not only those who received awards are applauded but all SES Volunteers in WA were recognised for the great work in assisting and protecting the community in WA during the past year.
To Keith, the Kununurra Unit and Ben, well done the SES and the Community is proud of you.
State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers from across the State celebrated last night as three of their best attracted top honours in the annual SES Awards. Award recipients were recognised for their work during the severe storms in June, rescuing people in inaccessible terrain in the remote Kimberley and for dedication to training other units throughout the State.
Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Wayne Gregson said the award recipients had each demonstrated outstanding commitment and dedicated countless hours to serving their local communities. “It was no easy task to select the finalists and eventual award recipients given such a strong field of nominees, and it just goes to show that the community is in very capable hands,” Commissioner Gregson said.
“These award winners deserve the highest accolades possible for their hard work and commitment. “These winners represent the thousands of SES volunteers across the State who do not hesitate to give freely of their own time between work and family commitments to attend training and incidents.”
Commissioner Gregson thanked all SES volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the year responding to storms, floods, cyclones and bushfires.
“Our SES volunteers are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist people in times of need and their commitment to providing emergency services is appreciated by all those they help,” he said. “I congratulate the 2012 recipients, along with all SES volunteers around the State, for their invaluable contribution to enhancing the safety of West Australians.”
The SES Awards are judged on volunteer dedication to duty, involvement in development or implementation of programs, contribution to the service, and excellence in preparedness, response and safety at an incident.
Peter Keillor Award (for dedication and commitment to the SES):
Keith Drayton, Cockburn SES Unit
Keith is an SES veteran of 32 years and is dedicated to emergency service volunteering. He has served as a rescue team leader, Deputy Manager and Local Manager of the unit, as well as a Senior Training Assessor. Keith willingly travels statewide in his own time to qualify trainer and assessors to enhance response capability at regional SES units.
Team Achievement Award:
Kununurra SES Unit
The Unit was recognised for the incredible commitment by their members when responding to five major incidents in the Kimberley. This included evacuating and repatriating 41 sick and elderly people from Kalumburu, conducting three cliff rescues in inaccessible terrain, and searching for a missing person over five days in dense bushland and hot conditions.
Youth Achievement Award:
Ben Gardiner, Busselton SES Unit
Ben shows a high level of professional skills beyond his years. He inspires confidence in people impacted by hazards and this was particularly evident during the severe storms in June. Ben is reliable and willing to tackle a myriad of SES related tasks with enthusiasm.
