Gav Zani, right, from the Napperby Country Fire Service nominated an employer for an award. He is pictured at the volunteer recognition event at the Savoy Soccer Club with South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission chief executive David Place, left, and Country Fire Service deputy chief officer Andrew Lawson.
Wade Kammermann from the local Metropolitan Fire Service enjoys helping the community fighting fires.
He was one of 120 emergency service personnel and employers who were honoured at the South Australian Fire and Emergency Service Commission volunteer and employer recognition event at the Savoy Soccer Club on Monday.
The commission is the Government agency responsible for overseeing emergency services.
Chief executive David Place said the Port Pirie State Emergency Service Unit had attended 49 incidents in the past 12 months, including 15 flood, 17 wind and nine marine responses.
Meanwhile, the Port Broughton unit attended 20 incidents, 11 of which were road crash rescue.
Mr Place acknowledged the commitment of self employed service volunteers and employers of volunteers who “let their employees leave at a moments notice”.
“Emergency service volunteers make valuable employees,” he said.
“They are able to cope under pressure, able to work within a team and help others and are extremely committed.”
Fire-fighter Kammermann was recognised as a self-employed worker for Fire Equipment Maitenance Group.
He said although he was a paid fire fighter, his job required him to attend 3am callouts and sometimes drop his business in the middle of the day.
The fire fighter of nearly 18 years said the job was rewarding.
“It’s the sense of being able to help people in the community in their time of need,” he said.
Gav Zani of the Napperby Country Fire Service was proud of the work being done by his volunteer group.
“We have to go off at various times of the day to attend accidents, fires and storm damage,” he said.
Mr Zani, who has been a volunteer since 2006, said he does not get scared when faced with an emergency because his “natural instincts” kick in.
He said his unit is also required to back up the the Metropolitan Fire Service.
Andrew Wotten of the State Emergency Service has been volunteering for 10 years.
“We are a great bunch of people and we do some really good things,” he said.
He was pleased to receive the accolades and said he spends about five hours volunteering per week.
Metropolitan Fire Service assistant chief officer Michael Morgan, State Emergency Service deputy chief officer Dermot Barry, State Emergency Services Volunteers Association executive officer and SA Press Club secretary Susan Caracoussis and Country Fire Service deputy chief officer Andrew Lawson made the trip to Port Pirie for the event.
Mayor Brenton Vanstone gave an uplifting speech in which he provided an insight into the role of volunteers in Port Pirie and his personal experience with the Country Fire Service and State Emergency Service.
“As Mayor of Port Pirie, I offer my sincere congra-tulations to all the volunteers and employers,” he said.
