Pride Month - LGBTQIA+ volunteers strengthen communities

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) is celebrating the remarkable contributions to community safety of its LGBTQIA+ cohort this June, acknowledging the vital role members play in units and emergency response across the state in line with International Pride Month.

LGBTQIA+ volunteers and allies throughout Victoria are instrumental in driving inclusion and ensuring local VICSES units are reflective of the communities they serve. VICSES prides itself on fostering a positive culture which welcomes and supports members from a broad and diverse range of backgrounds.

Proudly identifying under the Rainbow pride flag, Adam Moffat has served with the VICSES Point Cook Unit since the unit’s advent in 2024, driven by a desire to develop new skills and support his community in times of crisis.

Joining the unit prior to its construction and learning the trade through weekly sessions at the nearby Wyndham Unit facility, Adam proved himself a willing learner and a supportive teammate, qualities which saw him quickly gain the respect of the local volunteer cohort before ever boarding a rescue truck.

According to Adam, the unit, considered one of the state’s most culturally and linguistically diverse upon its official opening in 2024, took him for who he was from the outset, with volunteers going out of their way to be curious and learn more about his involvement in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Whether it be enquiring about his attendance at a Sydney Mardi Gras event or making sure they were using appropriate terminology around Adam and his fellow LGBTQIA+ colleagues (affectionately referred to as ‘the alphabet kids’ by Adam), members have prioritised inclusivity wherever possible.

Now a regular figure at events such as the Midsumma Pride March on behalf of VICSES, Adam also serves as a crew leader for VICSES Point Cook Unit and facilitates fitness for role, leading from the front and ensuring volunteers can safely and efficiently effect rescues in their community and beyond.

VICSES Sunbury Unit volunteer Sarah Brennan-Dunn has more than two decades of VICSES experience behind her, having become the service’s first openly trans member in 2003.

Previously a member of Scouts Victoria who was drawn to VICSES after visiting the VICSES Footscray Unit and observing the unit’s Safe Working at Heights and rope rescue capabilities, what was a daunting decision at the time has seen Sarah serve as a trailblazer for LGBTQIA+ volunteers across VICSES, now volunteering alongside multiple non-binary, trans and other LGBTQIA+ members within her own unit.

A willing volunteer who regularly puts her hand up for deployment, Sarah has spent two decades building and engaging with a network of LGBTQIA+ VICSES members across the state while providing vital emergency support to communities in dire need, including by supporting VICSES Ararat Unit in late 2025 as the unit saw a spike in traumatic road crash incidents.

As part of a six-person taskforce which include two trans volunteers, the team was welcomed whole heartedly and given the backing of the community as they provided much-needed support to the stricken local unit.

Sarah takes great pride in her operational response but is just as involved in community engagement activities and pride initiatives, having joined Adam in being a regular fixture at Melbourne-based pride events and even travelling north to represent VICSES at Bendigo Pride.

We thank both Adam and Sarah for their tireless commitment to VICSES and acknowledge the contributions made by all LGBTQIA+ volunteers across Victoria in keeping Victorians safe during storms, floods and other emergencies.

To find out more about volunteering with VICSES, visit www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us.

Quotes attributable to Adam Moffat, VICSES Point Cook Unit volunteer:

“Joining VICSES and developing a whole host of new skills in support of my community has been a remarkable experience.

“Every time I get on our rescue truck and attend an incident, I come back having learned just a little bit more about myself and my fellow volunteers. Knowing everyone on that truck has the skills they need to support each other in a challenging moment is such a credit to the unit and its volunteers.”

Quotes attributable to Sarah Brennan-Dunn, VICSES Sunbury Unit volunteer:

“VICSES is a progressive organisation which has been welcoming of volunteers from all walks of life and different orientations.

“I joined VICSES because I wanted to help my community, learn new skills and develop my ability to lead and I can definitely say I’ve done that over more than two decades.

“It’s a really rewarding experience and to be able to meet and engage with other LGBTQIA+ volunteers across the state is such a privilege.”