Collie SES Youth Emergency Services Cadet Program
In September 2024 Collie SES initiated a vision to establish a Youth in Emergency Services (YES) program in the South West region. The program was born from a commitment to empower local youth, strengthen future emergency response capabilities and foster greater understanding and collaboration across multiple emergency services.
Those other services include Marine Rescue Bunbury, St. John Ambulance Collie Branch, local Bushfire brigades and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA). Each agency will contribute to the delivery of training sessions, demonstrations and real world exposure to their specific areas of emergency response.
Following months of dedicated planning, community consultation and inter-agency support, the Collie YES program was officially launched on 30 April 2025 with 16 cadets enrolled and participating in two foundation training sessions. The focus of the foundation sessions was on Unit Familiarisation, the Code of Conduct and Unit Rules.
Cadets were warmly welcomed and given a comprehensive introduction to the program, the facility and expectations. Community engagement is a strong element of the program, so a dedicated parent and caregiver information session was held alongside the cadet program to provide families with an understanding of the YES Cadet initiative.
A multi-agency training calendar that includes the following modules has already been developed:
• Introduction to YES Cadets and Code of Conduct
• Introduction to Communications
• Introduction to Search
• Equipment familiarisation
• Team Building and Communication Exercises
• Introduction to Basic General Rescue (BGR)
The YES Program is not just a youth initiative –it’s an invest-ment in the community’s future. Benefits include:
• Future Ready Volunteers
• Increased Community Resilience
• Stronger Local Networks
• Skill Development and
• Youth Engagement
With the enthusiastic involvement of cadets and the strong support of their families, Collie SES—together with the other participating agencies—is confident the program will continue to grow in both strength and impact. They look forward to the program’s next stages and remain committed to supporting cadets as they begin their meaningful journey in emergency services and community leadership.
Strong expressions of interest continue to be received from young people keen to join.
