Employment Opportunity – SES Volunteer's Association of Western Australia Incorporated

09/10/2024 – Why I became a peer supporter – a personal journey

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I lived with this experience until I had to attend three funerals in the space of a fortnight in 2001 and had a mental breakdown. I contacted a mental health service provider and after some trouble, I convinced the operator that I had to see a psychologist in person as soon as possible.

I then saw a psychologist and after just 2 sessions I considered myself cured. How wrong could I be.

“Peer support is provided between two or more people who have similar or shard experiences, and who recognise each other as Peers.

Peer Support can be offered professionally (Peer Support Work), or informally (such as through friendships and support groups).

Mental health peer support can bring a range benefits, such as friendship, empowerment, acceptance, stigma reduction and shared learning and insights for recovery.

Mental health peer support workers and programs can also bring about significant improvements in service cultures, towards more recovery-centred and trauma informed approaches.”

I joined Murray SES in May 1983. In 1985 I was involved in the rescue of an 18-month old girl who had fallen down a bore hole on a property at Coolup. Her family had just purchased the rural property.

A local farmer offered to dig a 5-metre hole alongside of the bore hole. When the hole was dug, a ladder was dropped down, so we had access to the bore hole. Three of us went down the ladder and discovered that we had to dig through solid clay for approximately one metre.

While digging through this with a pick, I felt something soft, so the pick was no longer used. I continued digging with my bare hands. Eventually we had enough of an opening to insert a piece of wood into the borehole to stop the baby continuing down the borehole.

After we had enough clay cleared away, I was able to remove the baby from the hole and handed her to my two col- leagues, who proceeded up the ladder to the Ambulance about 200 metres away.

I then thought, I’m down this five metre hole in the ground by myself and must pull myself together and get out of this predicament. I reluctantly climbed the ladder, and as I reached the top, I could feel the ladder moving side to side. I realised that I had to continue the climb and get on firm ground.

As I climbed to the top, I could see approximately 200 people around the ambulance in the distance, with no one considering my plight.

In 2023 I read a newspaper report of the incident, and it all came flooding back to me (39 years later). This required a further four sessions of EMDR therapy. I can now think about the incident without getting emotional.

Hopefully this will be the end of this process. This is why I became a Peer Supporter

Most of my time as a Peer Supporter is listening only, but I always give the information on who to contact for professional support.

There is also the situation where 1 or 2 minor jobs can have an effect when combined with another 12 or so. It’s called the Cumulative effect.

Submitted by Phillip Rance

Mandurah SES Peer Support Team Leader, Metro SES

09/10/2024 – SESVA Recent Activities Score board

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Representation on the SES Training Advisory Group (SES TAG) 31 August by SESVA Treasurer Robbie Palmer DFES consultation with SES volunteers from various units, including one Association representative.

Debrief with the WAFES Conference and Awards Gala Dinner Committee on 11 September attended by SESVA Secretary Allen Gale ESM DFES debrief with the volunteer association representatives after the WAFES Conference and Awards function to collect the feedback of SES units and the SESVA committee.

Presentation to the WA National Disaster Rescue Challenge (NDRC) Team on 14 September by SESVA President Greg Cook. NDRC WA TEAM branded hoodies donated by SESVA to team members in acknowledgement their efforts to prepare for the NDRC in Sydney and in support of the campaign to bring back the shield.

Attendance at the QLD SESVA Young Emergency Leaders (YEL) conference 28-29 September by SESVA President Greg Cook Observer at the conference which is designed to identify talent in younger members and assists in informing selection for representation at the National YEL Conference in Canberra in 2025

Representation on the DFES Operational Efficiency Payments Review Group 01 October by SESVA Secretary Allen Gale ESM
DFES consultation with volunteer association representatives on the review of the OEP payment system to BGUs.

Legislation Working Group meetings 10th, 24th and 30th September. Developing the campaign to promote the proposed Emergency Services Act 2024 position paper on be- half of the members of the SESVA

08/10/2024 – WA Emergency Services Volunteers Hardship Assistance Scheme Update

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Emergency Services Volunteers do an amazing job protecting our homes, our communities and our lives. We are proud to support those that support our communities.

The Emergency Services Volunteers Hardship Assistance Scheme provides volunteers with the opportunity to seek financial assistance during times of hardship.

Hardship is when a volunteer is unable to meet minimum living expenses because of unexpected or unforeseen events, such as:
• loss of work or a reduction in hours
• illness or death of a family member
• relationship breakdown
• accidental injury or illness
• an emergency event or natural disaster

What is available?
• full claim where the volunteer can apply for up to $6000
• emergency claim where the volunteer can apply for up to $2000
• a Special Emergency Grant may be offered to a volunteer who has lost or had significant damage to their primary place of residence Up to $6,000 of hardship assistance can be provided to assist an eligible applicant to meet the following expenses:
• outstanding utility accounts and charges
• general household expenses (including emergency primary needs)
• expenses for funeral of a family member
• unexpected accounts due to accident or injury to self or family member
• self-employment expenses
• support for dependent family members
• last resort welfare mechanisms for self or family member
• medical expenses
• municipal rates
• mortgage or lease expenses

Find out more at waesvhas.org.au

08/10/2024 – National Disaster Rescue Challenge 2024 SYDNEY 27—29 September

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The National Disaster Rescue Challenge has come and gone for another two years. The WA Team travelled to Penrith via Sydney in preparation for two days of Challenge participation

State Emergency Service (SES) teams from across Australia converged on Sydney to test their skills and learn new techniques from each other in this National event hosted this year by NSW SES.

The Challenge put teams through their paces in various scenarios. It is unique in that teams compete against each other in the form of scenarios and gain as many points as possible by undertaking roles in a safe manner, working together as a team, decision making and casualty handling/first aid.

WA NDRC Team L-R(picture opposite): Cherese Green, Ketesse Hansen, Ming Lim, Megan Davies, Mark Geary, Warren Taylor, Melissa Baker

The WA team had a very valuable learning experience and will take away many ideas and rescue techniques which can be utilised in developing training programs. No doubt they will implement some of the scenarios into their own unit training.

We are very proud of WA’s accomplishment competing against some very strong teams who spend 20 months preparing and practising for the games. The WA Team came together with three months prepara-tion time but the feedback from each of the stand evaluators being very positive and in one instance the judge made the comment the technique the team used “made my weekend”.

NSW SES Assistant Commissioner, Dean Storey ESM said, “interagency exercises like the NDRC are a great way for our experts to further enhance their capability to save lives and build safer communities if disaster strikes. Compet-ing in events like this allows teams to share best practice and learn how each agency works state-to-state so they can work better should they be deployed together in the future”. Every mainland state and territory are usually rep-resented at the three-day challenge, which involves more than 200 people and 12 different types of scenarios.

Some of the scenarios were challenging for the WA team, being out-side the scope of work for most WA SES volunteers. A scene with a vehicle having run over two casualties who were trapped under a ve-hicle and concrete block with more casualties in the vehicle. In an-other situation a team of three rescuers initially were faced with 14 casualties who had been struck to varying degrees by debris. They also faced a structure which had extensive damage including ceiling collapse and teams using power tools to cut through fallen walls to access the trapped person and her baby.

08/10/2024 – SESVA Raffle update

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SESVA Raffle update

Thank you to everyone that has supported the SESVA raffle in WA. The funds raised are gradually increasing and the SESVA is now able to fund some beneficial activities for SES volunteers in WA.

Tickets
Raffle #04 commenced on 02 September and ends at 3pm on 27 November 2024. The prize is $1500 Coles Myer Gift Card. So spread the word and encourage people to buy tickets online nationalsesvaraffle.org.au or by calling 1300 804 562.

Winners are contacted by phone, mail or email with the raffle results published in The Australian and on the National SESVA website nationalsesvaraffle.org.au the following business day after the draw on 29 November 2024.

The funds raised in WA once expenses are taken into account, stay in WA and will be used primarily to connect SES volunteers with people, programs and education for the benefit of SES volunteers where there is no private gain for the individuals. For example:
• Access to training and development.
• Access to a welfare fund.
• Grants for volunteer’s services.
• Sponsorships for volunteers.
• Volunteer resources support service.
• Facilities for use by volunteers and their families.
The VA welcomes suggestions on how the funds raised can be used for the benefit of SES volunteers. Contact your SESVA regional representative or send an email sesva.secretary@ses-wa.asn.au

07/10/2024 – From the SESVA President October 2024

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From the SESVA President

Welcome again to the SES Volunteers Association. Here we are in October, traditionally time to ramp up our operational activities to lead our communities at the local level.

Many communities suffer from learned reliance, but what does that mean and how do we reverse the enormous cost bourn by the governments that have adopted these principles?

The fewer communities do for themselves in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery from emergencies and disasters, the more external intervention the state and commonwealth governments must do. Indirectly, taxpayers are footing the bill for this.

An emergency plan for households is not just about knowing who to phone, but what they can do to reduce the impacts of disasters on them. Community members and groups collaborate to make their communities a safer place for all.

State governments try to resource this but there is a limit to the number of funded positions and there is a shortage of enabled volunteers to coordinate these activities within our communities.

Such is the case for the government to better fund community resilience programs and volunteers to manage them in their communities. Funding response-only resources may well be building our learned reliance on Departments and ideals.

We need bigger picture thinkers. Are you part of the solution?

Greg Cook
President, SES Volunteers Association

SES Volunteer's Association of Western Australia Incorporated

“Together we can; Together we will”

SES Volunteer's Association of Western Australia Incorporated

09/10/2024 – Why I became a peer supporter – a personal journey

09/10/2024 – SESVA Recent Activities Score board

08/10/2024 – WA Emergency Services Volunteers Hardship Assistance Scheme Update

Emergency Services Volunteers do an amazing job protecting our homes, our communities and our lives. We are proud to support those that support our communities.

The Emergency Services Volunteers Hardship Assistance Scheme provides volunteers with the opportunity to seek financial assistance during times of hardship.

08/10/2024 – National Disaster Rescue Challenge 2024 SYDNEY 27—29 September

08/10/2024 – SESVA Raffle update

SESVA Raffle update

07/10/2024 – From the SESVA President October 2024

From the SESVA President

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