A rescue undertaken in the eye of a storm or in the midst of a blazing fire is all in a day’s work for north-west SES controller Brad Dalgleish.
But the selfless Caroline Springs resident says seeing the gratitude on a person’s face makes his job of trawling floodwaters, attending traumatic car accidents and climbing on damaged roofs worthwhile.
“Most of the people I come into contact with are in extremely traumatic situations and they are just grateful for your help,” Dalgleish says.
“You might have no call-outs for two weeks and then you’re inundated with 10 calls in one night. That’s one of the greatest parts of the job: no two days are ever the same.”
Dalgleish, 38, joined the SES in 1990 as a fresh-faced 16-year-old, eager to obtain his Queen’s Scout badge. As a Brimbank SES volunteer he was soon able to gain the hours of community service needed for the honour. But the experience also inspired him to become a leader in his community and continue to help others.
In the past 21 years, he has travelled Australia for this cause. He cites the Black Saturday bushfires, Queensland floods and the 2011 Christmas Day hail storms in the north-west among his most memorable call-outs.
During the Christmas Day storms he led a team of more than 400 volunteers. “We had more than 1800 calls within a few hours,” Dalgleish says. “We also had hundred of volunteers responding to all kinds of incidents over the week following Christmas. It was extremely rewarding being able to help people in my own community.”
Last year, Dalgleish was awarded an emergency service medal in the Queen’s Birthday honours and he received a long-service award from the SES. In light of recent fires deliberately lit in Brimbank Park, Dalgleish warns residents to remain vigilant as the hottest month of the year begins.
“We may be urban, but we do have rural areas and grassfires can have a huge impact on the community.”
To become an SES volunteer, visit ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer
