Benalla’s SES volunteers are out and about every week doing vital work in the community.
They save lives, clear roads to get you home on time, and when we are all cursing the power going out after a storm, it’s SES members who jump up and head out to clear fallen trees around power lines to help get your lights back on.
And on the Sunday after Australia Day, when the community was having a sleep-in, its members were at the Mokoan North rest area on the Hume Fwy running a driver reviver site.
It’s impossible to calculate how many lives driver reviver sites have saved over the years, but these selfless volunteers don’t do it for recognition. They do it for their community.
And their mateship, friendships and the skills they have been able to learn over the years in the role is something you can get involved with.
Deputy Controller for the SES Benalla Unit, Graham Milner, popped into the Ensign office on Monday, January 29 to put a call out for new volunteers to join the close-knit team.
“This is the first time the Benalla Unit has used its new driver reviver and community engagement vehicle, one of several in the State,” Mr Milner said.
“It has facilities at the rear for coffee and tea making, when used for driver reviver.
“And the side of the vehicle is set up for community engagement with a flat-screen and advice materials.
“We volunteer our time at the reviver site in an effort to have drivers take a rest in order to reduce road trauma,“ Mr Milner said.
“Our members are dedicated to reducing the number of road crashes they attend and driver reviver is one of the ways we try to achieve this.”
If you want to become an SES volunteer, there are benefits some people may not have considered.
“As part of our training, we do everything from boating to 4WD driving and roof-top safety with ropes and harnesses,” Mr Milner said.
“We also do general rescue training, storm training. We learn how to control flood waters and lots of other things.”
So, if you’re looking for a way to give back to your community while making friends and learning new skills, why not give SES a try?
Find out more, or apply to be a volunteer by calling 5762 7676.