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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-06-14 Daily Xml
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Emergency Services

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:16): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Can the minister inform the house about the South Australian emergency services personnel whose exceptional service has been recognised in the Queen's Birthday awards?

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS (Cheltenham—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services) (14:16): Thank you to the member for Mawson for this question. I know that I indicate the congratulations on behalf of not only the government but all members of this house for those extraordinary individuals who have been recognised with honours this weekend just passed. Members of the emergency services sector have been recognised for their extraordinary service to the community, as recipients of both the Emergency Services Medal and the Australian Fire Service Medal.

The Emergency Services Medal recognises distinguished service by members of emergency services across Australia. As part of this year's Queen's Birthday awards, two members of South Australia's State Emergency Service are worthy recipients: Mr Andrew Sullivan and Mr Ben Martin.

Andrew Sullivan is a longstanding member of the SES, having joined in 1993, and has risen from a volunteer cadet to Operations Response Manager with the Campbelltown unit in the member for Hartley's electorate. Andrew has dedicated his volunteer career to training others and is an instructor with a number of SES disciplines, both operational and managerial. Most recently, Andrew has demonstrated agility as a representative of the SES, assisting SA Health to set up a COVID-19 quarantine facility.

Ben Martin joined the SES in 2011 as a volunteer with the Barmera unit in the member for Chaffey's electorate and is now District Training Coordinator for the Riverland district. Since joining the SES, Ben has responded to over 300 requests for assistance, ranging from road crash rescues to inland marine search and rescue and storm and flood damage—not dissimilar to many other emergency services volunteers responding to that broad-based emergency services response. Ben has delivered countless training courses in passing on his skills to other volunteers and has been described by his unit manager as 'dedicated and reliable' and 'always willing to assist no matter what the task'.

Further, the Australian Fire Service Medal recognises distinguished service by members of Australian Fire Services. Mr Speaker, I have no doubt that you will be pleased to know that of the two recipients of this medal, one is your constituent. Mr Nathan Watts from Mount Barker joined the Nairne CFS brigade as a firefighter in 2004, and throughout his years of membership he has been an outstanding volunteer and shown a passion for leadership. It is especially notable that through the period of the Cudlee Creek fire in 2019-20 Nathan led several fire missions which contributed to saving homes, saving lives and saving businesses by inspiring other volunteers to persevere despite the enormous task and dangerous circumstances facing them.

Brendan McEvoy is a credit to the CFS. In nearly four decades of service, Brendan has had various ranks, including captain of both the Upper Sturt brigade and the Stirling brigade. The Upper Sturt brigade is familiar to many members of this house, including the member for Waite. In 2005, Brendan was awarded life membership in recognition of his outstanding and enduring efforts. His extensive experience has routinely been called on to provide leadership on numerous task forces and strike teams.

His deployments include Kangaroo Island and Flinders Ranges and as operations officer at the Gladstone munitions factory explosion in 2006. Similar to other ESM and AFSM award winners, Brendan has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring other CFS volunteers are highly skilled through providing training and education to fire service personnel since 1991 across a range of vital topics in challenging and evolving disciplines.

On behalf of this house and government, would the recipients of these medals accept our warmest congratulations and thanks for their service.

The SPEAKER: I record my thanks, too, to those members of the CFS mentioned and acknowledge particularly Nathan Watts, who I dealt with immediately in the aftermath of the Cudlee Creek fire. I was particularly grateful, and I know my community is grateful for his contribution.

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