Spring has arrived across Western Australia, and with it the familiar shift in the work our SES volunteers are asked to do. From the Kimberley to the Great Southern, units have been answering calls for storm damage, flood support, land search, road-crash rescue assistance, and community preparedness often at short notice, and always on top of work, family, and study.
To every volunteer who turned out this month, thank you. The strength of the SES is not a single large incident. It is the steady, local response, tarping a roof before the next front, searching through the night, standing by for a partner agency, or spending a Saturday in a shed so the next callout is safer and better led. That work rarely makes headlines. It still matters.
October is also when we look ahead. Southern regions are moving into a higher bushfire risk period, and many of our members will support DFES and local partners as that season builds. In the north, units are using the shoulder season to refresh flood, storm, and remote-response skills before the wet arrives. Across the state, training nights, driver and rescue courses, and leadership development remain the foundation of a capable service. If your unit has places on a course, please put your name forward. Skills maintained in quiet months are what carry us through busy ones.
Welfare sits alongside capability. Long shifts, uncertain outcomes, and time away from home take a toll. Please use your unit support networks, peer support, and the services available through DFES. Looking after each other is part of the job, not an optional extra. A particular thank you to families, partners, and employers who make volunteer availability possible. Your flexibility is a quiet but essential part of community safety.
The Association’s role is to represent you on training, equipment, recognition, and the practical conditions of volunteering. If something in your unit is working well, tell us. If something is getting in the way of safe, sustainable service, tell us that too. We are strongest when local experience shapes the conversations we have on your behalf.
As we head toward summer, the ask is simple: stay current, look after your crew, and keep inviting new people in. Communities notice when SES volunteers show up. They also notice when we make room for the next generation.
Stay safe and thank you for your service.
Greg Cook ESM
President, SES Volunteers of Western Australia Association Incorporated