Lake George Zone volunteers honoured

Summary

Forty five dedicated volunteers from the Lake George Zone will be joined by NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons at a ceremony tonight to recognise their contribution to the community.

Commissioner Fitzsimmons said he was pleased to be able to present the members with National medals and Long Service medals for their commitment to the Service and their hard work.

“Together these forty five volunteers have given more than 800 years to the service, with several medal recipients giving more than 30 years each,” said Commissioner Fitzsimmons.

During the ceremony, Commissioner Fitzsimmons made mention of one special volunteer.

“Andrew Douglas has been an active member of the NSW RFS for fifty years. This is an amazing achievement that goes beyond the ordinary definitions of ‘long service.

“Andrew has held a number of leadership positions during that time, and has worked tirelessly for the RFS for many decades and I thank him for his ongoing service.

“These volunteers have just been through a challenging bush fire season, including the large Sandhills fire near Braidwood in January.

“Many members have put in some big hours fighting fires and their dedication has been well and truly on show.

“Their job is an important one, and they do it out of the goodness of their heart. They do their job quietly, never asking for praise, awards of accolades.

“I want to make it clear that the rewarding - yet dirty and difficult - work that our members undertake is appreciated.

“I congratulate them all for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the community and to the service. They should all be very proud, as should their families,” said Commissioner Fitzsimmons.

The volunteers come from a number of Brigades including Bungendore, Jerrabomberra, Queanbeyan, Majors Creek, Ridgeway, Captains Flat, Winamallee, Burra, Wamboin and Krawarree.