Long service for SES

The long service of 110 Gippsland State Emergency Service volunteers was recognised with presentations of medals and awards at a function at Leongatha.

They included 11 members from Warragul and six from the Erica unit.

Some of the recipients, including Warragul's Wendy Shiels and Stuart Williams and Graham Bastim from Erica, have been SES volunteers for more than 30 years.

In total the 110 members awarded medals, bars to their medals and certificates have more than 1800 years of service to the SES.

A number of them were unable to attend the function.

Victorian chief operations officer Trevor White and the regional manager of the East Region Anthony Costigan made the presentations.

Warragul SES unit recipients were Stuart Williams and Wendy Shiels (30 year bar and certificate), Catherine Wood (25 year bar and certificate), Linda Bayley and Finlay Skinner (20 year bar and certificate), Geoffrey Lockwood and Gerald Engelstad (10 year medal and certificate), Megan Major, Mark Zelley, Kaylene Elliott and Penelope Iles (five year certificate).

Erica members awarded were Graham Bastin (30 year bar and certificate), Robert Aisbett and Kenneth Gannan (25 year bar and certificate), Yvonne Gannan (20 year bar and certificate) and Wendy Mitchell and Richard Gaede (10 year medal and certificate).