One particularly memorable job required the removal of a rather large tree that had fallen across a major road during a storm.

The real surprise was the bees in residence. “For obvious reasons we couldn’t approach straight away,” Jared said. “But it definitely added an extra challenge to the risk assessment that I had never seen before.”

More than one emergency service was on the scene including Victoria Police and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, which provided Jared with excellent experience working alongside other agencies. Jared was able to put his traffic management skills into action too.

The range of experiences and types of jobs you get called to are never the same. “I can take the skills I learn and apply them to my paid job, as well as my personal life,” he said.

“In some aspects the SES is a big family,” Jared said. “I’m proud to be in such a close-knit team. It gives me the opportunity to do my best and give back to the community in their time of need.”

Jared has been a proud member of the SES for the past 6 years.  He started with the Oakleigh Unit and work led him to Glen Eira and Horsham Units. Read a story about his Deputy Unit Controller Danielle Eyssens deployment to the Mildura storm response.

Become a volunteer

Inspired? Register at your local unit to become an SES volunteer.