General News
14 May, 2023
Orange is the new WOW
If you’d like to find out more about joining your local SES, visit ses. vic. gov. au/volunteer
SES members across the region will have a special reason to wear their outfits with pride next week - celebrating Wear Orange Wednesday so the rest of us can acknowledge their community commitment.
Held annually during National Volunteer Week, WOW Day encourages the public to thank and acknowledge SES volunteers, for their invaluable contribution.
VICSES members in the Grampians region received more than 2000 requests for assistance in the past 12 months - including the floods of October 2022 which stretched their resources to the utmost.
That was their busiest month on record, as volunteers across the state responded to an astonishing 13,700 requests for assistance during those few weeks as major flooding impacted the state.
More than 370 emergency warnings were issued and more than 900 flood rescues were conducted by VICSES crews in what was a major and prolonged emergency event, with some of the worst floods in Victoria’s history.
And while SES volunteers are well known for their response during flood and storm emergencies, they also respond to 900-1000 “Assist Police” jobs every year.
This includes assistance with searches for missing people and searches for evidence at crime scenes, as well as scene preservation and assistance with lighting towers and marquees.
They also respond to on average more than 1300 road crash rescues each year, and are trained to meet strict national standards, undergoing regular capability assessments to ensure they continue to meet these standards.
VICSES CEO Stephen Griffin said the dedication of SES crews across the state was “truly inspiring”.
“Wear Orange Wednesday is an opportunity for the public to say thank you, to all the volunteers who sacrifice their time away from their family, friends and loved ones, to help the community rain, hail or shine,” he said.
“In the face of adversity, our people are capable of extraordinary things.
“Whether it’s a one in one-hundred year flood event, or deployment to another part of the country to help local communities,VICSES volunteers are here for our communities.”
You can share a message of thanks to SES volunteers by posting on Facebook or Twitter and using the hashtag #ThankYouSES.
If you’d like to find out more about joining your local SES, visit ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer.