Tasmania Says Thank You to the State Emergency Service

Saturday 10th November marks the start of SES Week, which is a national celebration of the dedication and commitment of the thousands of men and women across Australia who selflessly volunteer their time and energy with their State Emergency Service (SES).  In Tasmania it is an occasion for the community to recognise the contribution of Tasmania’s SES volunteers and say thank you.

“Our 550 SES volunteers come from all walks of life, with different backgrounds, interests and skills.  Collectively, they give around 26,000 hours a year to conduct nationally recognized training for rescue skills, leadership and first aid, to name a few,” said the Director of the SES, Mr Andrew Lea.

“With these skills they drop what they’re doing 24-7 to attend well over 600 emergency call-outs state wide per year for road rescue, storm and flood response, search and rescue, or a range of support tasks for police, fire or ambulance services.  They also provide safety support for numerous community events and they staff our driver reviver sites to combat driver fatigue.”

“There would be thousands of Tasmanians who have been helped by our men and women in orange overalls.  I’m very proud of our people and their achievements,” said Mr Lea.

A number of activities have been programmed during the Week to recognize the commitment of our SES volunteers. 

SES Week will be launched by the SES Director at the Burnie SES Unit 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday evening. The occasion represents 50 years of diligent service to the Burnie area.  It also represents 50 years of support from the Burnie City Council, which will be represented by the Mayor Steve Kons and other members of the council.  The Burnie SES Unit is one of our oldest units and is led by Unit Manager, John Duncombe, who has been volunteering his time to help his community since the start. 

The Director and his senior staff will also be attending a number of other award ceremonies to recognize long and diligent service and to say thanks on behalf of SES management and our communities.

To further highlight the valuable role undertaken by the SES, Wednesday 14 November will be ‘National wear orange to work day’.  All members of the community are encouraged to wear something orange on the day.  The slogan is ‘think orange and show your thanks’.

“If orange is not your colour, but you wish to express your appreciation of the services SES provides, send an email to ses@ses.tas.gov.au and I will ensure it gets to our people,” said Mr Lea. 

Further information on SES, safety advice during emergencies and volunteering opportunities can be obtained from the SES website: www.ses.tas.gov.au, from SES headquarters in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, or from your local volunteer units.