Unsung Heroes

Unsung Heroes

It’s no secret that as of late, not only our mountain community but all of Australia has been suffering. Sharee Young is a volunteer with the State Emergency Service, and she offers us a look at the people who are here to support us during trying times.

by Kyle Hitchmough

In your words, can you describe what the SES does in this area?

The State Emergency Service is a volunteer emergency and rescue service. We operate within Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. Our area is the Scenic Rim Regional Council – our unit name is Scenic Rim SES Unit. The specific group I am categorised in is Tamborine Mountain Group, however we work within the whole region.  We work on several tasks in the community from storm damage operations, land search, community engagement, vertical rescue and chainsaw operations just to name a few. Our role is to assist external stakeholders like Queensland Police Service, Queensland Ambulance, and Scenic Rim Regional Council in events ranging from land search to major weather events and even pandemics.

How long have you been working with the SES? How did you get involved?

I joined the Tamborine Mountain Group in 2017. I joined because I wanted to help our community in any way I could and was looking for new ways to build  my knowledge. I fell in love with Emergency Services as a whole and am currently studying my Diploma of Public Safety – Emergency Service Management. We run recruitment drives at the beginning of each year. However, in normal times, people are welcome to join at any time.

Do you know approximately how many people from our community volunteer with the SES?

All SES members are volunteers. We have three executives and five public service staff, all of which are paid roles, in our regional office, the South East Region Office in Ormeau. We have approximately 150 volunteer members in our Scenic Rim Unit.

What does your specific position entail? 

I took on an admin role within the first few months of joining, which entails administrative tasks for our group, and I am the media spokesperson for our unit. I look after our social media and any media contact within our unit. I was very grateful for these roles and the support of my mentors both past and current local controllers Jeffrey McConnell and Danni Bull. I also joined the Vertical Rescue team a couple of years ago.

What goes into the day-to-day operation of the SES?

Generally, we train on Tuesday nights. Some other tasks may be required during the week from errands, to maintenance of equipment, etc., which are often shared around the group and activations. Activations are sent via text message. If you are available to assist you simply reply to the text and details of the activation are sent to you, then you attend as a matter of urgency. We also assist in community events which help us fundraise, all money raised goes to our Support Group which assists in buying goods for the group like equipment.

Tamborine Mountain has been affected by its fair share of natural emergencies of late. Bushfires, floods and pandemic— how has the SES been involved in handling these crises?

Our involvement differs depending on the disaster. In the case of bushfires, we are assisting Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and Queensland Police Service. Our roles range from logistics, planning, administration, public information, transport, staging, door knocking… In the case of floods, we have a more direct role as these are events we train for all year round. These roles range from flood boat operations, storm damage, sandbagging, logistics, planning, administration, public information, transport, staging, door knocking, and more.

During this pandemic we have assisted QPS at the border and assisted at polling booths ensuring everyone kept their social distancing.  Our members are amazing people that love helping others so I know that many feel helpless during these times and no doubt wish they could do more.

Do you work closely with other local organisations such as the Rural Fire Brigade or the ambulance service?

We work together with QAS assisting in carrying out of patients that have become injured while hiking etc, QPS in land searches etc, Rural Fire Service and our Fire and Rescue crews on Tamborine Mountain where requested.

Are you a local? What is your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?

We live on the mountain. My kids attend school up here, I work up here and of course SES is up here. I love our community and our national parks are breathtaking. I believe the SES is so valuable to this community as its members are all very passionate about helping others, they are all local and bring a wide range of skills and knowledge to our community.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love the adrenaline rush of getting activations, the skills I have developed, but most importantly I love assisting in emergency situations and knowing that we have helped people smile during difficult times. Not all outcomes are ideal, but in general seeing the relief in a missing person’s eyes once we have located them and witnessing them being reunited with loved ones is such a wonderful experience, and makes the hard work and endless searching all the more rewarding.

Is there anything else you would like to go on the record?

The work of any volunteer is so incredibly rewarding and life changing. I feel incredibly lucky to have met so many amazing people and I enjoy working alongside like-minded individuals. I am very grateful for the skills, knowledge and mentoring that I have received since joining the SES.

 

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Or email the writer at kyle.hitchmough@hotmail.com, and follow me on Twitter @realcasualrvws.