NSW Emergency Volunteer of the Year winner Richard Alley of the Murrumbateman Rural Fire Service with his award. Photo: © Salty Dingo.Growing up in rural Murrumbateman, Richard Alley reckoned everyone had a fire truck in their back paddock.
When his father Peter volunteered with the Rural Fire Service (RFS) in the 1980s and later took on a paid position with it, the family’s five-acre property became another fire “station” for the Murrumbateman brigade. Last month, Peter retired from the RFS after 29 years’ service.
Richard said the RFS had always been in his family’s life. He and his four brothers and sister would travel to school in the “fire car” and the radio in the house was always on – tuned to the emergency frequency.
One of his strongest memories as a youngster was when his father was called out to the Cobbler Road fire in 2013 which threatened the nearby Yass township. It travelled 35 km and covered 14,000 hectares within six hours.
“I remember when my father went out to the Cobbler Road fires,” Richard said. “I was at home listening to what was happening on the radio because I was too young to go out myself.
“I will never forget it.”
Murrumbateman RFS captain at 19, Richard was the youngest person to take on the role across the Southern Tablelands Zone – which stretches from the Upper Lachlan across to Yass and Goulburn.
Today, at 27, he can claim another first – the inaugural NSW Emergency Volunteer of the Year title, in recognition of more than a decade of service, dedication and leadership on NSW fire fronts.
The award is the first of its kind in NSW, designed to recognise volunteers who have made an exceptional contribution to their community during times of crisis.
He was presented with the award by the NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib at the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards State Gala, in Sydney last week.
“I was really surprised,” Richard said. “I didn’t even know I had been nominated.
“I heard there were 140,000 nominations from across the state; I just can’t fathom how they picked me.”
Richard said he was “still trying to deal with it all … it’s a little embarrassing really”.
“There are 2500 brigades across the state and I’m just one of 70,000 members.”
Richard Alley’s skills as a chainsaw operator have proved more than useful in his role as bushfire fighter. Photo: RFS.
Presenting the award to Mr Alley, NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said the Murrumbateman man had “given an extraordinary amount of service and personal commitment over a decade in emergency management.
“He’s been there on the fire front to protect people and property, he has become an expert trainer for new and existing volunteers, and he has become a community leader and mentor for his peers,” he said.
“Richard is a very worthy recipient of this important inaugural volunteering award and showcases everything that we admire and respect in emergency volunteering across NSW.”
The NSW Volunteer of the Year awards are run by the Centre for Volunteering, the peak body for volunteering in NSW.
Original Article published by Sally Hopman on About Regional.
