Latest news with #WearOrangeWednesday
The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Why you should wear orange on Wednesday to say thanks to your local SES
IN the truck from sunrise to sunset, Lorraine Sim doesn't mind the long days spent helping her community. The 54-year-old has been volunteering with the Newcastle SES unit for the past two years, and heavy rainfall and flash flooding have kept her on her toes this past week. "It's been extremely busy. I've been in the truck since last Friday and basically been in it all day," she said. She said jobs had varied from water in houses, to tiles off roofs, holes in roofs and trees on homes. "It's all types of things, you never know what you're going to be doing on the job," she said. Coinciding with Wear Orange Wednesday on May 20, where communities across NSW are encouraged to wear orange and thank SES volunteers for their dedication and service, Ms Sim says it's the appreciation she receives for helping that keeps her coming back for more. "It's such a great initiative because, to be honest, it really is the thanks from the people that you actually help that means the most," she said. "It's really fulfilling. It's great to be able to give back to the community in general. People are so appreciative of us coming out and helping them in their times of need, and I do enjoy the tasks we get to do." Aside from the adrenaline-pumping rescue missions, Ms Sim said she enjoyed making friends and meeting people along the way. "You meet different characters and it's just like an extended family," she said. She encouraged more people to consider joining their local SES units. "I don't think a lot of people realise how easy it is to give up a little bit of your time to help someone else out. It's a rewarding thing if you've got the ability to volunteer and give up some time," she said. Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib gave a shout-out to the 1600 SES volunteers on the ground in the Hunter working to keep communities safe. "We've got over 1600 SES people from here from other parts of the state supporting the community, and they're tired," he said. "As a minister, I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of the volunteers who think of things that are bigger than themselves, who think about the community and understand they are giving up their time to support all of us," he said. He encouraged communities to wear an orange clothing item as a sign of gratitude on Wednesday. "They're doing extraordinary work and I just need them to know that we support them and we appreciate them," he said. Community members were able to write a message of thanks on a specially marked SES heavy rescue vehicle on Thursday, May 15, as it travelled across the state. The 'Truckload of Thanks' tour celebrated 70 years of service by the NSW SES and coincided with National Volunteer Week, Australia's largest celebration of volunteering The truck travelled through towns across all seven NSW SES zones, including Maitland, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga and Goulburn, concluding on Wear Orange Wednesday. IN the truck from sunrise to sunset, Lorraine Sim doesn't mind the long days spent helping her community. The 54-year-old has been volunteering with the Newcastle SES unit for the past two years, and heavy rainfall and flash flooding have kept her on her toes this past week. "It's been extremely busy. I've been in the truck since last Friday and basically been in it all day," she said. She said jobs had varied from water in houses, to tiles off roofs, holes in roofs and trees on homes. "It's all types of things, you never know what you're going to be doing on the job," she said. Coinciding with Wear Orange Wednesday on May 20, where communities across NSW are encouraged to wear orange and thank SES volunteers for their dedication and service, Ms Sim says it's the appreciation she receives for helping that keeps her coming back for more. "It's such a great initiative because, to be honest, it really is the thanks from the people that you actually help that means the most," she said. "It's really fulfilling. It's great to be able to give back to the community in general. People are so appreciative of us coming out and helping them in their times of need, and I do enjoy the tasks we get to do." Aside from the adrenaline-pumping rescue missions, Ms Sim said she enjoyed making friends and meeting people along the way. "You meet different characters and it's just like an extended family," she said. She encouraged more people to consider joining their local SES units. "I don't think a lot of people realise how easy it is to give up a little bit of your time to help someone else out. It's a rewarding thing if you've got the ability to volunteer and give up some time," she said. Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib gave a shout-out to the 1600 SES volunteers on the ground in the Hunter working to keep communities safe. "We've got over 1600 SES people from here from other parts of the state supporting the community, and they're tired," he said. "As a minister, I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of the volunteers who think of things that are bigger than themselves, who think about the community and understand they are giving up their time to support all of us," he said. He encouraged communities to wear an orange clothing item as a sign of gratitude on Wednesday. "They're doing extraordinary work and I just need them to know that we support them and we appreciate them," he said. Community members were able to write a message of thanks on a specially marked SES heavy rescue vehicle on Thursday, May 15, as it travelled across the state. The 'Truckload of Thanks' tour celebrated 70 years of service by the NSW SES and coincided with National Volunteer Week, Australia's largest celebration of volunteering The truck travelled through towns across all seven NSW SES zones, including Maitland, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga and Goulburn, concluding on Wear Orange Wednesday. IN the truck from sunrise to sunset, Lorraine Sim doesn't mind the long days spent helping her community. The 54-year-old has been volunteering with the Newcastle SES unit for the past two years, and heavy rainfall and flash flooding have kept her on her toes this past week. "It's been extremely busy. I've been in the truck since last Friday and basically been in it all day," she said. She said jobs had varied from water in houses, to tiles off roofs, holes in roofs and trees on homes. "It's all types of things, you never know what you're going to be doing on the job," she said. Coinciding with Wear Orange Wednesday on May 20, where communities across NSW are encouraged to wear orange and thank SES volunteers for their dedication and service, Ms Sim says it's the appreciation she receives for helping that keeps her coming back for more. "It's such a great initiative because, to be honest, it really is the thanks from the people that you actually help that means the most," she said. "It's really fulfilling. It's great to be able to give back to the community in general. People are so appreciative of us coming out and helping them in their times of need, and I do enjoy the tasks we get to do." Aside from the adrenaline-pumping rescue missions, Ms Sim said she enjoyed making friends and meeting people along the way. "You meet different characters and it's just like an extended family," she said. She encouraged more people to consider joining their local SES units. "I don't think a lot of people realise how easy it is to give up a little bit of your time to help someone else out. It's a rewarding thing if you've got the ability to volunteer and give up some time," she said. Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib gave a shout-out to the 1600 SES volunteers on the ground in the Hunter working to keep communities safe. "We've got over 1600 SES people from here from other parts of the state supporting the community, and they're tired," he said. "As a minister, I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of the volunteers who think of things that are bigger than themselves, who think about the community and understand they are giving up their time to support all of us," he said. He encouraged communities to wear an orange clothing item as a sign of gratitude on Wednesday. "They're doing extraordinary work and I just need them to know that we support them and we appreciate them," he said. Community members were able to write a message of thanks on a specially marked SES heavy rescue vehicle on Thursday, May 15, as it travelled across the state. The 'Truckload of Thanks' tour celebrated 70 years of service by the NSW SES and coincided with National Volunteer Week, Australia's largest celebration of volunteering The truck travelled through towns across all seven NSW SES zones, including Maitland, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga and Goulburn, concluding on Wear Orange Wednesday. IN the truck from sunrise to sunset, Lorraine Sim doesn't mind the long days spent helping her community. The 54-year-old has been volunteering with the Newcastle SES unit for the past two years, and heavy rainfall and flash flooding have kept her on her toes this past week. "It's been extremely busy. I've been in the truck since last Friday and basically been in it all day," she said. She said jobs had varied from water in houses, to tiles off roofs, holes in roofs and trees on homes. "It's all types of things, you never know what you're going to be doing on the job," she said. Coinciding with Wear Orange Wednesday on May 20, where communities across NSW are encouraged to wear orange and thank SES volunteers for their dedication and service, Ms Sim says it's the appreciation she receives for helping that keeps her coming back for more. "It's such a great initiative because, to be honest, it really is the thanks from the people that you actually help that means the most," she said. "It's really fulfilling. It's great to be able to give back to the community in general. People are so appreciative of us coming out and helping them in their times of need, and I do enjoy the tasks we get to do." Aside from the adrenaline-pumping rescue missions, Ms Sim said she enjoyed making friends and meeting people along the way. "You meet different characters and it's just like an extended family," she said. She encouraged more people to consider joining their local SES units. "I don't think a lot of people realise how easy it is to give up a little bit of your time to help someone else out. It's a rewarding thing if you've got the ability to volunteer and give up some time," she said. Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib gave a shout-out to the 1600 SES volunteers on the ground in the Hunter working to keep communities safe. "We've got over 1600 SES people from here from other parts of the state supporting the community, and they're tired," he said. "As a minister, I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of the volunteers who think of things that are bigger than themselves, who think about the community and understand they are giving up their time to support all of us," he said. He encouraged communities to wear an orange clothing item as a sign of gratitude on Wednesday. "They're doing extraordinary work and I just need them to know that we support them and we appreciate them," he said. Community members were able to write a message of thanks on a specially marked SES heavy rescue vehicle on Thursday, May 15, as it travelled across the state. The 'Truckload of Thanks' tour celebrated 70 years of service by the NSW SES and coincided with National Volunteer Week, Australia's largest celebration of volunteering The truck travelled through towns across all seven NSW SES zones, including Maitland, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga and Goulburn, concluding on Wear Orange Wednesday.
West Australian
20-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Community encouraged to support hardworking SES volunteers on Wear Orange Wednesday
Volunteering with the State Emergency Service is a family affair for one Kalgoorlie-Boulder family. Reidan, Lisa and Layton Ford, 16, are among a team of trained volunteers who assist the community in times of crisis. Mr Ford joined Kalgoorlie-Boulder's SES unit 18 months ago after learning about the organisation's positive impact from his wife Lisa who had volunteered for several years. 'When she would go out on jobs, hearing the satisfaction that she got from helping the community and being involved is what (encouraged) me to jump into it,' he said. The couple's 16-year-old daughter Layton joined as a cadet two years ago and established herself as a key team member. Mr Ford said SES volunteers were often called on to assist during land searches or severe storms. He said the unit worked in treacherous weather and terrain to assist community members in times of crisis. 'There's a lot of different reasons on why (SES is important) but I suppose, who else are you going to call?' he said. 'If your house is leaking profusely at eight o'clock at night, you can't call a contractor to come out and fix a leaking roof. 'The SES are willing to actually come out in their time and help you in those periods when you really do need the help, and it's not costing you a dime.' The SES unit trains weekly at their Forrest Street base in Boulder. Mr Ford said volunteers gained important operational and communications skills. Wednesday marks WOW Day, Wear Orange Wednesday, a time to recognise and celebrate the hard work of SES volunteers across the country. It takes place during National Volunteer Week, which runs from May 19-25. Kalgoorlie town hall, William Grundt Memorial Library, and Eastern Goldfields community centre will be lit in orange in the evening. Community members are encouraged to wear orange to show their support. 'It does feel good to be recognised, but we don't ask for it,' Mr Ford said. 'We don't go looking for recognition, but it does feel really good having that recognition, and it does go a long way.' Mr Ford said the Kalgoorlie-Boulder unit always welcomed new volunteers and encouraged anyone interested to reach out. Information on volunteering can be found on the SES WA website.
West Australian
14-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Great Southern community to wear orange on May 21 in support of local State Emergency Service volunteers
The Great Southern community is being encouraged to wear orange on May 21 for Wear Orange Wednesday to show appreciation for local State Emergency Service volunteers. Department of Fire and Emergency Services Great Southern Supt Wayne Green said the day recognises the 'great work' of SES volunteers. 'Not only them as volunteers, the commitments their families make when they support volunteers when they go out usually in adverse conditions to help the community out,' he said. SES volunteers attended 233 incidents across the region over 2021 hours between May 1, 2024, and May 6, 2025, including 54 severe weather events, 20 large bushfires, 19 rescues and patient lifts, and 26 road crash rescues. The volunteers' skills vary from rappelling off cliffs to rescue people to securing roofs in bad weather with their support in natural hazards, storms and bushfires essential to keeping the community safe. 'They're the same volunteers that are out during the storm season that are then flat out during fire season supporting those operations,' Supt Green said. 'They can do everything from ferrying resources around to getting food and critical supplies out to our firefighters right through to conducting or looking after staging areas where we've got a large volume of resources responding where they're at.' Supt Green said they were 'quite often' called to climb the Stirling Range to assist with rescues. 'SES are quite often called upon to climb to the top of Bluff Knoll and provide that manpower to assist with getting casualties or people who are in distress down to a safer location,' he said. 'Usually that's in arduous conditions, not only in terms of the climbs and the distances they've got to travel, but the weather conditions they're exposed to. 'And sometimes climbing overnight and then getting up again first thing in the morning to go and do it again.' Supt Green said Wear Orange Wednesday was a 'small token' of appreciation for their efforts, always going 'above and beyond'. 'Doesn't matter what the task, how big, how small, they're always putting their hands up to come and provide that support,' he said. Across WA, SES volunteers have attended 2464 incidents across 23,725 hours.
West Australian
14-05-2025
- Climate
- West Australian
Broome SES local manager Nathan Donald shares story for Wear Orange Wednesday
As tropical cyclone Carlos barrelled towards Karratha in early 2011, Nathan Donald was at the caravan park hurriedly tying down his belongings. 'It never made it to the caravan park, thank God, but it did do quite a bit of damage in town,' Mr Donald said. 'I was working at a local electrical supplier in town, and one of the reps just happened to be an SES volunteer, and we were talking about the storm, and he said I should come down, and the rest is history.' Now the local manager of the Broome unit, Mr Donald has been volunteering with the SES ever since, and said it was the experiences and the camaraderie that kept him coming back. 'It's the experiences. I get to do so much with what SES can provide. I've learnt so much . . . I just enjoy passing those skills on, and every call-out's different,' he said. 'Some of these people have never picked up a power tool in their life. And handing them a power tool and showing them how to use it safely, and then watching them have a crack — it gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling.' Mr Donald said he got the same feeling during one of his most recent rescues, helping airlift an injured hiker out of Bell Gorge. 'We were on site well into the early hours of the morning before we retired back to some form of accommodation, and then in the morning, when we got back to site, she was being airlifted out,' he said. 'We would have happily walked her out if it was the middle of the day when we got there, but unfortunately we didn't get there until 5pm and the sun was quickly going down, so she was airlifted out, which added to the unique challenge of the rescue.' Ahead of Wear Orange Wednesday, a day to recognise and celebrate the hard work of State Emergency Service volunteers, on May 21, Mr Donald said it was always great to see local support for the SES. 'We don't do it for the recognition, but it is really nice to have a day where everyone dresses up in orange to thank us for what we've done,' he said. To those considering joining their local SES unit, Mr Donald said 'just do it'. 'You won't regret it. We come from all backgrounds and we're open and welcoming,' he said. WOW Day takes place during National Volunteer Week, which runs from May 19-25.
