Australians everywhere celebrated National Volunteer Week from Monday, May 17 to Sunday, May 23.
The occasion highlighted the important work volunteers do in local communities, such as the Narrabri Shire.
Narrabri High School took the opportunity to recognise its selfless students and staff who, when combined, represent all three emergency service groups in the town.
Students Luke Scott and Amelia Beer represent the SES and RFS, respectively, and staff member Chris Silver is a volunteer for both the SES and VRA.
They each have their own unique reasons for volunteering, as well as differing roles and responsibilities within their organisations.
Luke is a trainee with the SES and helps out the volunteer team wherever he can.
“I undertake training most Mondays and am there to support the SES if they need me,” he said.
“I was on call for the recent floods – I didn’t actually end up being called out, but I’m there in case they need an extra set of hands.”
Luke participated in SES cadets a couple of years ago, where his interest in the organisation was first sparked.
He’s now been an official trainee for six months and says his favourite part of the job is giving back to the local community.
“I thought to myself ‘how can I help out people in town?’ and from there I just visited the SES headquarters and asked the captain if I could sign up,” Luke said.
“I’ve really enjoyed fitting into the team and doing my bit at the shed to support them on jobs.”
“So, if you’re interested in joining us, all you need is some ID and we can sign you up.”
Amelia, a volunteer with the local RFS, also encourages local people to get involved with the emergency services if they can.
“It’s not as scary as you might think and it gives you some great opportunities to give back,” she said.
Amelia has been a volunteer for as long as she can remember and has loved every moment of it.
“I actually joined the RFS because my parents were heavily involved, so I’ve been doing it since I was young,” she said.
“Then when we moved to Narrabri, my mum joined so I did too.”
“It’s hard to say exactly what my favourite part of being an RFS volunteer is – I love it all.”
Amelia says she also likes the broad reach organisations like the RFS have.
“We can help fight fires, attend car accidents, share our training and knowledge with the local community – there’s so many different aspects to being a volunteer,” she said.
“The RFS really does it all, working closely with other emergency service groups like Fire and Rescue, the local police, SES, VRA and more.”
In a small community like Narrabri, Amelia believes active and passionate volunteers are essential.
“Anything can happen out in these rural towns, from bushfires to crashes on the highway, so our emergency service volunteers are vital,” she said.
“You can visit our local RFS command to join the team.”
Chris also believes there’s a great importance to having strong emergency service teams in the area.
He volunteers with both the SES and the VRA, where he has taken on the role of deputy captain.
This ranking means Chris is one of the three VRA team members authorised to take control of the rescue elements of an accident.
He says the VRA currently has 14 team members, but they’re always open to welcoming more.
“We’ve got a mix of trainees and accredited operators, so you certainly don’t need lots of experience to sign up as a volunteer,” he said.
“We hold training sessions at 34 Mooloobar Street on Thursdays at 7pm, so if you’re interested just stop by and have a chat with one of us.”
Chris says being a volunteer has helped him give back to the local community.
“I first signed up with the VRA when I moved to Narrabri, eight years ago,” he said.
“I was looking for a way to contribute to the town and help those in need.”
Chris’ favourite part of his role is bringing order into the lives of those impacted by accidents.
“Whether it’s a victim in a car crash or vertical rescue job, or the victim’s loved ones, their lives are suddenly thrown into chaos,” he said.
“Volunteering for the VRA allows me to deescalate their stresses and restore calm in emergency situations.”
Read more stories like this:
- Wear Orange Wednesday celebrates local State Emergency Service volunteers
- ‘High calibre’ nominees recognised with National Volunteer Week Award
- Youth Week celebrations at Narrabri High School | PHOTOS
