GOLD COAST
WHEN disaster strikes State Emergency Service members don’t hesitate to put their lives on the line and their dedication to the Gold Coast community has been recognised.
SES volunteers gave 1465 hours of man-time and attended 396 jobs in the two days exTropical Cyclone Debbie lashed the Coast.
The team rescued people from flooded homes, from cars stuck in causeways and worked tirelessly to secure homes in areas under threat.
“I am quite amazed at the job all the volunteers did,” SES controller Jayd Woolard said. “We didn’t get any more people, we just got the work done.”
Mr Woolard said no job was too big or small for the city’s 302 members.
The crew’s selfless work during Cyclone Debbie was a large part of the reason its members were awarded the Commissioner’s Cup for SES Regional Unit of the Year.
Criteria for the award included; operational excellence, empowering volunteerism, being a capable organisation, and working together.
Mr Woolard said he was “tremendously proud” of his team that had put in 30,778 man hours throughout the last financial year.
Further south, the Richmond-Tweed SES received more than 2300 calls for help and responded to 400 flood rescues, including swift-water rescues in dangerous and fastmoving floodwaters.
“There are just so many amazing people who went above and beyond the call of duty,” community engagement officer Janet Pettit said. “They don’t look for thank you’s. They are very humble.”