Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad’s first woman president Nacole Standfield is a ‘superwoman’.
By day, Nacole is a stay-at-home mother to two children and by night — or more accurately, whenever the buzzer sounds — she’s on the volunteer clock.
For nine years Nacole has been a key player in SS&RS. She’s seen it all — the good and the bad.
From being there to help civilians in life-threatening situations and attending fatal accidents, to filling hundreds of sandbags as the town teeters on the edge of disastrous flooding.
Nacole was the squad’s secretary for seven years before taking the president’s role in 2021.
“It’s felt quite amazing to be that first female president,” she said.
“It’s been busy so I haven’t had a lot of time to stop and take it in, just with everything that has been going on — but it felt pretty good.”
Nacole now spends between 20 and 30 hours each week fulfilling her duties, overseeing the business aspects and general running of the squad, ensuring everyone is secure in what they’re doing and “just being there” for the team as a listening ear.
“I think the main takeaway is the friendships you build,” she said.
“Obviously, you come in and there’s such a different dynamic between age groups and everything like that, so you make friends, you get to know each other, you sort of become a family.
“And obviously, with the bad, always comes the good outcome jobs — being able to do community education and all those sorts of things.”