ESA members honoured in 2024 Rotary Awards

Congratulations to recipients of the 2024 ACT Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards (RESCA)!

The awards see Rotary Clubs of the ACT recognise emergency services staff and volunteers from around the Territory for their valuable contribution towards keeping Canberra’s community safe.

Ten finalists from the ACT Ambulance Service, ACT Fire & Rescue, the ACT Rural Fire Service, the ACT State Emergency Service, and ACT Policing were nominated by the ACT community for going above and beyond in their roles.

ACT Rural Fire Service and ACT State Emergency Service member, David Tunbridge, was awarded the 2024 RESCA in a voluntary position. 

In addition to being a volunteer firefighter since 1974, David manages the equipment for the brigade. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership care and diligence as a firefighter and in former roles as the Molonglo Captain and President. He is “a repository of wisdom” for the 50 years of service and has documented a photographic history of the period. He has carefully and compassionately documented the lives and services of those firefighting colleagues who have died. In addition to his service as a volunteer firefighter, David has served for three decades with the ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES).

Tammy Bennett from the ACT State Emergency Service was awarded the 2024 RESCA in a paid position.

Tammy Bennett is both a volunteer within the Tuggeranong unit and an Operations Manager for the ACTSES. As a volunteer she is a peer support officer and contributes to training, upskilling and mentoring members. Her volunteer work goes well beyond her own unit and includes leadership during COVID, in packaging and delivery of essential food and welfare hampers for vulnerable Canberrans. Tammy also provided welfare support at COVID testing centres, as well as packaging and distribution of the appropriate test kits to ACT schools. She has deployed interstate on many occasions including the Hunter Valley and Grafton storms, Tropical Cyclone Debbie, the Black Summer bushfires and other NSW flooding events.

Congratulations to all the finalists! 

 

Reuben House 

 

Reuben is a Ngambri & Wiradjuri man who is a Senior Firefighter and Indigenous leader. He is a member of the ACT Fire & Rescue (ACTF&R) Indigenous Advisory Group and is a role model for all first nations people throughout his community and the service. His full range of firefighting competencies and duties include responding to such challenges as structure and vehicle fires, chemical, biological and radiological incidents, bushfires, confined space rescue and trench rescue. Additionally, Reuben regularly provides welcome to country, sharing his knowledge and insights regarding the local people and area. He is recognised as a talented artist. He is especially effective in sharing knowledge through stories, artwork, music and telling yarns.

Dale McCormack 

 

As a Peer Support Officer (PSO) with ACTF&R, Dale McCormack constantly displays compassion and professionalism as he promotes wellbeing, mental health awareness, and work and home life balance with staff and team members. In addition to his role as Peer Support Officer, Dale is a member of the ACTF&R Health and Wellbeing committee, a First Aid instructor, a Vertical Rescue Specialist, and a Swift Water Rescue Specialist. Dale exemplifies the Rotary awards motto of "Service above Self" with his unwavering support of his colleagues to ensure all are supported so they may continue to serve the ACT community.

David Power 

 

In addition to his policing duties, David Power is a strong advocate and supporter for other members of the police force, particularly in the area of mental health. He selflessly provides support to other members outside of work and has managed several fundraisers to help members, and their families, who have suffered or are suffering from terminal illnesses. One such event recently raising over $24,000. David is also part of the AFP ceremonial team, which is an additional role that provides a platform for recognition of others and ensure members are appropriately honoured. On an additional volunteer basis, David is also a member of the Yass district NSW Rural Fire Service and a delegate of the Australian Federal Police Association.

John Giles 

 

In addition to being an outstanding police officer, Detective Sergeant John Giles was nominated for the Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards primarily in recognition of the role he played in founding the Kids in Care program in 2013. He responded to a family taken into emergency care in December of that year and worked to ensure the four-year-old and her three siblings had a fantastic Christmas. The Association he established has grown, and now provides support and assistance to more than one thousand vulnerable or at-risk children in our region every year. He has been a stalwart in raising funds, coordinating gift distribution and organising supplies of children’s toys. John has been nominated to be installed as Chairperson of the Board to manage the incorporated association and intends to continue being heavily involved with the charity into retirement. His caring commitment and dedication as both an AFP officer and in the community are commendable.

Gordon McAlpine 

 

Gordon has been nominated in his capacity as a volunteer in policing. However, he has also been a member of the ACTSES from 1999. Since joining the police as a volunteer in 2002, Gordon has contributed over 6800 hours of service. He has assisted across a wide range including searching for missing persons, catering for high level state meetings along with fund raising and BBQs. He has driven the bus for various AFP events and assisted training with a range of role-playing activities for Constable, Detective and Border Force courses. He is highly regarded as a mentor.

Clive Gibbs 

 

Clive has volunteered to work with the AFP since 2011 and the ACTSES since 2008. He commits four days a week to volunteering and looks after his grandchildren on the fifth day. His work frees the time of sworn officers ensuring a more efficient police force. One AFP Inspector described him as follows, “not only does he perform an important service to the community in the front office, but he is also a source of support and cheer for our members”. In his volunteer work with the SES Clive has twice travelled to Canada to be part of the Australian response to massive wildfires in Alberta 2015 and BC 2018. At the time he was “just running on adrenalin from seven in the morning until 10:30pm at night”.

Michelle Michie 

 

Michelle has been an active member of the Hall Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade for over 25 years and remains a valued senior member. Michelle is a ground breaker. She was one of the first female Deputy Captains in the ACT as well as one of the first female tanker drivers. She is a recognised peer support officer within the ACT Rural Fire Service, and has organised numerous informal health and wellbeing checks for the Brigade. Michelle has been involved in a number of protracted incidents, within the ACT and interstate, and during these deployments she has provided both leadership on the fireground, as well as care and mateship to less experienced members, who are often mentally fatigued and need support after sustained action. Michelle has actively encouraged her children to also volunteer, and to that end, her youngest daughter Kiana recently passed her Basic Firefighter qualifications and is commencing her journey as a volunteer within the Hall Brigade family.

John Dowling 

 

For around a quarter of a century John has been a volunteer member of the ACTSES and has held the positions of Deputy Team leader, Team Leader, Deputy Commander, Commander (unit leader) and Training Officer (and alternate Equipment Officer) in that time. He is currently a Lead Trainer and Assessor (TA) in SWD (Storm and Water Damage), a First Aid and AIIMS (an Incident Management System) as well as a TA for Navigation and Search. He performs across a wide range of roles in this capacity and offer his experience and learning from his volunteer experience. In particular, his dedication to training large cohorts of volunteer recruits is recognised noting the significant effort to ensure appropriate knowledge and training is undertaken. John is also a Board Member of the ACTSES Volunteer association currently undertaking the additional role of Treasurer and National Council representative. In that capacity he also prepared a report for an ACT Legislative Assembly Committee. John is recognised by his fellow volunteers as having drive, integrity and care, and for putting others’ needs before his own.