At the weekend, Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) staff and volunteers were honoured for their work during the 2019-2020 bushfires, continuing the presentation of National Emergency Medals (NEM), underway since last month.

Presentation ceremonial booklet and medal with clasp

On Sunday, 17 NEM recipients from across the Western Region of Victoria attended a ceremony held at the Deakin University Waterfront Campus, in Geelong.

A break in the weather let in the sun, as members from VICSES Bacchus Marsh, Corio, Essendon, Geelong, Heidelberg, South Barwon, Sunbury, Torquay, and Warrnambool Units received medals and clasps to denote their achievement. Nominees for the medal received a clasp, if they had already received the medal.

VICSES volunteers and staff pose for group photo at Deakin Waterfront Campus Geelong, Sunday 16 April 2023 (see below for photo credit and full listing of recipients)

The 2019 - 2020 bushfires was declared a nationally significant emergency on Wednesday, 2 December 2020, which allowed the VICSES staff and volunteers to be put forward for nomination for a medal or clasp.

During the 2019 - 2020 bushfires, VICSES staff and volunteers were deployed to Incident Control Centres set up to manage the response in the affected areas. They also worked closely as part of a multi-agency team, alongside emergency management colleagues, at the State Control Centre.

(L-R) VICSES Chief Executive Offiver, Stephen Griffin; Lisa Keys, VICSES South Barwon Unit; VICSES Chief Officer, Tim Wiebusch.

The event is also an opportunity to thank and acknowledge family and loved ones, who enable our volunteers and staff to consistently respond to community need during times of emergency.

Congratulations to our VICSES staff and volunteers and a big thank you to their family and friends, who supported our members’ deployment; away to the other side of the state, often for many days on end.

Chief Officer Tim Wiebusch presents VICSES staff member Costas Chrysopoulos with the National Emergency Medal

Volunteers and staff included: Keith Muller, VICSES Bacchus Marsh Unit; Darren Egberts, VICSES Corio Unit; Daniel O’Reilly, VICSES Essendon Unit; Marion Petersen, VICSES Geelong Unit; Joshua Deerain, VICSES Heidelberg Unit; Joshua Hutton, VICSES South Barwon Unit; Lisa Keys, VICSES South Barwon Unit; Ross Hutton, VICSES South Barwon Unit; Caroline Taylor, VICSES South Barwon Unit; Vanessa White, VICSES Sunbury Unit; Warren Rupal, VICSES Torquay Unit; Adam Jones, VICSES Warrnambool Unit; William Fawcett, VICSES Warrnambool Unit, and VICSES staff members Costas Chrysopoulos, Gavin Kelly, and Andrew Murton.

(Photos by Uniform Photography)