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By HARRY CLARKE
STATE Emergency Service volunteers in the Western Downs have honoured a stalwart of the organisation and are relishing upgrades to facilities and resources amid a region-wide push for new members.
A significant refurbishment of SES facilities at Chinchilla will enable crews to better coordinate resources and improve personnel’s communication during disaster recovery operations.
Thanks to an investment by the Western Downs Regional Council and a $10,000 grant from Origin Energy, Chinchilla SES’s executive office has been upgraded to create an improved radio room and new storage space for equipment.
The radio room and a new executive office has been named after the late Peter Taylor, a veteran SES volunteer and controller of the Chinchilla SES Group before he passed away in 2017.
“Pete was a stalwart of SES. It was his passion,” said Western Downs Deputy Controller Scott Pogan. “He was a member of the SES for 38 years and we thought it would be very fitting to honour Pete’s memory and dedication.”
“Our space was definitely due for an upgrade. The office was riddled with asbestos and in poor condition so we had to get rid of it. We’re very appreciative of the support from Origin and the council because these facilities are vital to continue the work we do.”
Emergency crews were kept busy throughout January and February as bushfires raged throughout the Wieambilla forrest, outside Miles and around Moonie.
Local SES crews were deployed throughout the region to assist the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and local police coordinate water bombing aircraft, road closures and communications.
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Pogan is a longstanding SES volunteer who works as a Senior Constable with Miles Police.
His wife, Sharn Pogan, is the Local Controller for the Western Downs SES and an Area Controller for the South West Region, which covers the vast area between the Lockyer Valley and the far South West.
The region is services by nearly 500 SES volunteers who are fundamental to managing recovery from ongoing floods, bushfires and hailstorms which affect the region.
Sharn Pogan said SES representatives were pushing for new members to join the volunteer service, with new initiatives to expedite the recruitment and training process.
“We had a bit of a decrease through Covid when all of our training suspended completely. People tended to find a new hobby or do something different,” she said.
“But for the past 12 months we’ve started to pick up again and we’re always looking for new members – the more sets of hands we have, obviously the lighter the load for everybody who’s operational within the SES.
“Training is always ongoing from the time that you start. I’ve been with the SES over 12 years now and I’m still learning things every day, which is fabulous because you’re constantly building your skill sets.
“Everyone trains on the basics and then you can decide what sort of path you’d like to take – whether you’d like to skill up in flood boats or chainsaws, emergency operation centres, whether you want to be in the administrative side or you want to be hands on.
“You also have the ability to decide when you’re going to attend training. A lot of us train weekly, but you may only make two nights out of a month. SES isn’t about drilling you down and saying you must attend, it’s about your choices and how it fits into what you do. You become a very valued volunteer for the organisation and our communities.
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“We find that a lot of people who want to come and be a volunteer also bring to us skills that they teach the rest of us, so it’s a great two way exercise. We all learn from each other and bounce off each other.”
Scott Pogan added: “It’s a feeling of participation within your own community and helping to give back to your community. There’s the pride that comes from volunteering and providing a service.
“There’s the pride in a job well done when these events occur, you respond, and you have been able to assist and facilitate people’s recovery. There’s the teamwork that comes from participating in an emergency service.
“There’s the learning and the knowledge that comes from training and responses. The knowledge and skills that you learn are transferable in your own life.”
Harry what a wonderful story on former SES Controller and Volunteer the late Peter Taylor. Many years ago I was a SES Volunteer under Peter’s leadership. He was an inspiration to us all. Peter was not only involved with the SES but was a volunteer for many other local organisations. A fitting tribute to a fine upstanding Leader