Lithgow volunteers’ commitment praised

Commissioner Fitzsimmons said there are 18 brigades in the Lithgow area that respond to a range of bush, grass and house fires as well as motor vehicle accidents and other emergencies every year. Commissioner Fitzsimmons was joined by Mayor Maree Stathum and parliamentary secretary Goeff Provest to present each of the volunteers with Long Service Medals and praise their on-going dedication in a ceremony at Club Lithgow last night. “Each and every one of the volunteers here today is worthy of our most sincere thanks and I would like to personally commend them, not only for their commitment to the Service, but also to their community,” said Commissioner Fitzsimmons. Commissioner Fitzsimmons said that between them the 38 volunteers had accumulated an incredible 1148 years of service between them. “i would like to make particular mention of two members, Lyall Hughes and Gordon Smith, with 63 years and 65 years service respectively. “Gordon joined the Dark Corner brigade in 1948 and has attended many incidents as well as dedicating the last 25 years to maintaining the station and vehicles at Dark Corner. “Lyall joined Glenorie two years after Gordon joined Dark Corner, and later was a founding member and early Captain of the Clarence/Dargan brigade, of which he’s now a life member. “I would also like to pay tribute and present three awards posthumously to the families of Geoffrey Peters, Chris Bird and David Theobold. “David Theobold was a member of Wallerawang for 31 years, Geoffrey Peters was a member of the Hartley Brigade for 65 years while Chris Bird was a member of the Hartley Brigade for an incredible 70 years. “These individuals have been part of the Service during a period of incredible growth and change and I thank their families for the time they have given in serving the NSW RFS and their community. “All of the volunteers here today have demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment to their community over the years and these medals are just a small token of our appreciation,” Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.