WOW!
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Service NSW Tuncurry headquarters was a vision of orange as staff joined members of the Forster-Pacific Palms SES to celebrate this year’s Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW).
WOW Day is celebrated annually across the country on the Wednesday of National Volunteer Week.
SES volunteers play a vital role in helping communities prepare for and recover from emergencies and disasters such as floods and severe storms and it’s important they’re recognised for their outstanding work.
The day was an ideal opportunity for SES members to invite the community to join their ranks as volunteers, and talk about the new headquarters, which begins construction in Tuncurry in the next few weeks.
Covering locations from Bungwahl to Darawank, the SES is currently located in Pacific Palms.
Sole female member, Cheryl Goodchild believes volunteering is in her blood.
“I have volunteered for much of my adult life,” Cheryl said.
“I like to get out and give to the community and help others.
“There are so many opportunities for women in the SES from climbing up on a roof to working in communications.”
Acting controller Greg Dodd is hopeful the more centralised headquarters will encourage more people to volunteer.
The SES played a vitally important role in the community, Greg said.
“If there wasn’t an SES I don’t know who people could turn to.
“The SES is very important to the community and the community is important to the SES.”
The SES performs a number of vital roles during storms and emergencies, including tarping roofs in howling winds, rescuing people and animals from floods, attending serious road accidents, clearing fallen trees, co-ordinating community education programs, or searching for lost or missing people.
The NSW SES has more than 9000 volunteers who give up their time to train for and respond to emergencies and natural disasters – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and last year responded to more than 27,000 requests for assistance including 650 flood rescues.