The 2019 WOW day function was held at SWORD in Kewdale on 22 May. More than 300 SES Volunteers, DFES staff, special guests and the Minister for Emergency Services, Fran Logan MLA, attended this function. The function was streamed around the state so that all SES Volunteers and their supporters could view what was happening in the city. DFES Media staff did a great job organising the function and this year it included the Matagarup bridge and the Optus stadium being lit up in Orange.
The function commenced at about 4pm when Channel 9 did a live weather cross to SWORD where there were SES Volunteers and the Canine in the background. This was repeated after 6 pm with a much larger audience of SES Volunteers. The Minister addressed the group and spoke very highly of the great service the SES Volunteers provide in supporting their communities. There were special guests including Ivy James from the RFDS, two members of the Allen family, and Inspector Steve Scott from the WA Police Force.
The Allen family addressed the group and thanked them for searching and locating their missing father and grandfather earlier this year. The speech by Fiona Allen was straight from the heart and the SES Volunteers appreciated the thanks.
Gordon Hall addressed the group and outlined some numbers including the number of incidents over the past eighteen months, where SES Volunteers have attended 1265 incidents consisting of 30,025 hours as well as attendance at 76 searches so far this year.
This year celebrates sixty years of the SES in WA and to celebrate this the Minister Fran Logan MLA, Gordon Hall ESM (SESVA President) and Deputy Commissioner Mal Cronstedt AFSM, cut a special anniversary cake.
Special mention was made of the work done by the DFES staff that support and assist the SES Volunteers, and in particular, the Media Team who made this night a special one.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
