Around 20 lifesavers from across the Lower North Coast Branch were presented with a NSW Premier's Bushfire Emergency Citation at the Branch Championships at Pacific Palms on Saturday.
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The citations date back to the various roles Lower North Coast surf clubs and lifesavers played in the November fires last year, with Taree Old Bar and Black Head surf clubs serving as emergency evacuation points and lifesavers setting up command posts at numerous locations throughout the Manning-Great Lakes in case they were required to provide emergency evacuation services to people near key waterways.
MidCoast Council mayor David West presented the citations on behalf of Premier Gladys Berejiklian and said it was an honour to be in the presence of such worthy recipients.
"If you walk in the footsteps of these lifesavers, you walk in the footsteps of heroes," Cr West said.
"These brave men and women were going into a situation where they had very little preparation, they had very little knowledge, and they went into it knowing full well they were putting their lives at risk, yet they put the lives of others ahead of their own."
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Branch president Brian Wilcox said it was great to see the lifesavers recognised for their efforts.
"I think it's great recognition," he said.
"It's not something we were traditionally involved in and we had to work out how we were going to do it.
"I think it was great and it brought all the emergency services together."
Mr Wilcox believed the recognition would also motivate lifesavers to want to be involved next time their services were required in an emergency.
"It'll spur them on the next time something happens in the community," he said.
"They'll all want to be involved."
Around 60 lifesavers from the six clubs across the branch were nominated for the citations, but not all of them were able to make it to the presentation.
Mr Wilcox said these lifesavers would receive their citations by mail.
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