Local emergency volunteers honoured at state awards

When a group of school students and teachers found themselves stuck at the bottom of a cave near Margaret River during an abseiling excursion in March, a specialised rescue team quickly sprang into action to escort people back to safety in wet and slippery conditions.

Two members of the team abseiled into the cave to treat an injured instructor who had fallen 40 metres to the bottom of the cave, but sadly he could not be revived by first responders. Several partner agencies praised the rescue team for their professionalism and empathy during the incident.

That team was made up of volunteers from the SES South West Vertical Rescue Team. For their efforts, they were awarded the SES Team Achievement Award at the WA Fire and Emergency Services awards on Sunday night.

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM said the awards recognised SES volunteers as WA’s first line of defence against natural hazards.

“These incredible volunteers help keep communities safe and respond to emergencies such as cyclones, storms, land rescues and floods,” Commissioner Klemm said.

“Over the last financial year, SES volunteers attended 2691 incidents and requests for assistance and volunteered 25,846 hours of their time.

“These awards are a chance to pause and extend our gratitude to volunteers who put their own lives on hold to help others during a crisis.”

Also among the honours list was Gelorup Bush Fire Brigade Captain Glenys Malatesta.

Leading a group of 11 South West volunteers on deployment to Fitzroy Crossing, Glenys’ meticulous and determined management style was invaluable while her crew helped clean up flood-affected houses by shovelling and scraping tonnes of mud in extremely challenging conditions.

Speaking to the Mail in June, she said the hardest part was not the physical labour, but the emotions of escorting residents back to see their destroyed homes.

“It was heartbreaking,” she said.

“I just don’t see that town coming back. Never. It’s such a shame. Working with their community, they’re just such lovely people.”

Glenys also rolled up her sleeves to fight the Donnybrook bushfire in January – all the while working tirelessly behind the scenes to help secure a $1 million upgrade of the Gelorup Fire Station.

“These stories of firefighters giving up their personal time to protect others highlights the selflessness and resilience of our emergency services personnel,” Commissioner Klemm said.