The annual WA Fire and Emergency Services Awards have recognised volunteers and staff whose achievements ranged from saving lives to championing diversity.
Minister for Emergency Services, Reece Whitby said Marine Rescue volunteers who saved the life of a fisherman, and a firefighter who tripled the number of women volunteering at her brigade were among these honoured.
Mr Whitby said Marine Rescue Albany received the Award for Outstanding Group Operations for saving a fisherman who was washed adrift and spent two hours in the ocean in February this year.
He said Merredin’s Sheree Lowe took out the Western Australian Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Award for her work in supporting women to become volunteer firefighters, which led to a threefold increase in the number of female personnel at her brigade.
Mr Whitby said the State Emergency Service Team Achievement Award was presented to the Communications Support Unit for building an essential piece of communications equipment that assisted the incident management teams at the Red Gully and Wooroloo bushfires.
He said the Kalbarri Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service took out the Firefighting Team Achievement Award, racking up almost 1,300 combined hours to help the community recover from Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
Mr Whitby said Captain of Broome Regional Bush Fire Brigade, James Taylor, was awarded the Murray Lang Bush Fire Service Award for his efforts in fundraising, recruiting new volunteers and his involvement in the development of a new fire station.
He said the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Operational Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution went to Area Officer, Andrew Thompson for his dedication to mentoring at-risk youth and promoting mental health initiatives among volunteers.
