What DFES and SESVA are doing to celebrate our SES volunteers
Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day) is our chance to shine a light on the incredible people who make the State Emergency Service what it is—our volunteers.
It’s a simple idea with a big impact: wear orange, share a thank you, and help your local community recognise the commitment SES members bring before, during and after emergencies.
For WOW Day 2026, DFES and the SES Volunteers Association of Western Australia (SESVA) are backing a range of activities to help units and communities get involved across WA.
DFES activities and communications
DFES is coordinating a mix of media, workplace and community-facing activations in the lead-up to, and on, WOW Day 2026. Activities currently planned include:
- Proactive media across radio and print in regional WA in the lead up to WOW Day
- Illuminating buildings and lighting displays in orange across Perth metropolitan and regional WA
- Letter to newsrooms requesting presenters wear orange in their bulletins
- Channel 10 live cross from Cockburn SES WOW Day Challenge
- Raising flags at the DFES Cockburn Central office
- Sharing WOW Day messages and ready-to-use digital content to help units spread the word and celebrate their people online.
SESVA activities and communications
- SESVA is sending ribbons, posters and information to all State politicians to encourage wider recognition of SES volunteers and the work you do for your communities.
- A Campaign Information Pack and supporting resources you can use to promote WOW Day locally is available on our
- WOW Day packs have been distributed to 20
- SESVA Executive and Management Committee members will be out and about supporting activities hosted by SES units across the metro area and regions.
Events currently on the radar include:
- Cockburn SES WOW Day Challenge 2026
- Community engagement events in Australind, Mandurah and Melville
- Unit events in Bassendean, Nannup, Serpentine-Jarrahdale and Kalamunda
Whether you’re part of an SES unit, a local business, a school or a member of the public, a simple gesture—wearing orange, sharing a message of thanks, or supporting a local unit event—helps highlight the vital role SES volunteers play across Western Australia.