VICSES Ararat Unit honoured after unprecedented emergency demand
A cohort of Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) volunteers in the state’s west have been celebrated for their exceptional response and commitment to community during months of high-risk emergency response, including at multiple serious injury and fatal road crash emergencies.
At a special ceremony at their local headquarters on 6 August, VICSES Ararat Unit was awarded the rare Commendation for Service with special recognition of members’ response to a pair of complex multi-fatality collisions during an unprecedented period of high-frequency and high-severity road crashes throughout 2025.
One of VICSES’ most prestigious honours, 10 volunteers were expressly acknowledged in the award, with Controller Dylan West and volunteers Kurtis, Jan, John, Wayne, Hollie, Kaydan, Nay, Jordan and Russell among those celebrated for their outstanding contribution through a particularly trying period.
In conferring the award, VICSES Ararat Unit volunteers were praised for their efforts carrying out prolonged rescues and difficult extrications at crashes involving passenger and heavy vehicles, often while managing heavy traffic along the Western Freeway corridor and in the vicinity of distressed families and other bystanders, significantly heightening the risk of trauma.
This was most evident while responding to crashes at Armstrong and Stoneleigh in May and November of 2025, each of which claimed the lives of three people and saw volunteers work extensively in confronting circumstances and confined spaces in an attempt to preserve life.
The award further highlighted the professionalism, teamwork and compassion of volunteers while responding alongside Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and fire services colleagues, supporting the development of clear command and control at each crash site and ensuring emergency services could ‘Work As One’ to support their community in its time of need.
In total, VICSES Ararat Unit volunteers were called to 30 road crash-related requests for assistance (RFAs) in 2025, the unit’s busiest on record, with more than 10 per cent of the unit’s RFAs involving road crash response.
The award comes as VICSES Ararat Unit gets set to celebrate six decades of service to the local community, having begun life as Ararat Rescue Squad in 1966 before aligning with the existing Civil Defence Organisation and ultimately a unit of VICSES upon the service’s inception in 1975.
A 60th anniversary celebration is planned for later this year.
To find out more about volunteering with VICSES, visit www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us.
A Video News Release is available here.
Quotes attributable to Dylan West, VICSES Ararat Unit Controller:
“Our volunteers don’t do what they do in the community in the hopes of recognition or an award. They do it to provide vital support to their community when and where it’s needed most.
“I’m so proud of the commitment, skill and professionalism they showcase each and every day and the care and support they provide each other before, during and after each incident they attend.”
Quotes attributable to Alistair Drayton, VICSES Chief Officer Operations:
“The Commendation for Service is a rare and prestigious honour and one that recognises the best of VICSES. It celebrates the technical skill of emergency response, the incredible drive of volunteers and their commitment to acting compassionately, safely and effectively to save lives.
“VICSES Ararat Unit volunteers have exemplified these qualities in the face of an unprecedented period of challenging emergency response of recent and their volunteers are to be commended for their remarkable service.”
