Service brings rewards- Emerald SES volunteers Gerard Kennedy, John Reed and Andrew Buck are c

By Casey Neill
VICTORIA’S State Emergency Service recently recognised four selfless Emerald volunteers for their dedication to their community.
The SES presented Andrew Buck and Jim Waring with five-year long service awards and Gerard Kennedy and John Reed 15-year honours at the Central Region awards dinner on 3 October.
Mr Kennedy and Mr Reed received one of 65 National Medals awarded at an annual VICSES ceremony on 9 November to volunteers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.
The Emerald unit also received an award for continuous improvement in training and skills development during the past year.
Emerald SES assists with storm and flood damage, missing person searches and road crash rescues in parts of the Cardinia and Yarra Ranges shires.
John Reed, 52, first joined the SES in Frankston about 1986.
“It’s always nice to be appreciated,” he said.
“But it’s not something that we all look for.”
He’d been involved with the Federation of Victorian Walking Clubs Bushwalkers Search and Rescue, but wanted to be more active.
He described the SES as a ‘big rescue family’.
“Helping people in the community is very rewarding,” he said.
“I enjoy the work. I’ll stay until I’m incapable of doing it.”
Mr Kennedy has been the Emerald unit controller for more than 10 years and began his SES association in Chelsea.
Logistics officer Jim Waring, 43, has been an Emerald SES member for eight years.
“I’ve got a lot of skill that I can help a lot of other people who can’t necessarily help themselves,” he said.
“People helped me when I was young, now I help others.”
The Cockatoo resident said he’d learnt skills and improved his life during his time with the team.
“It becomes part of your life,” he said.
Andrew Buck joined the crew about the same time as Mr Waring.
The Cockatoo motor mechanic has always been interested in cars.
“Road accident rescue got me into it,” he said.
“I enjoyed the rest of it just as much.”
The 44-year-old “thoroughly enjoys” making a difference.
“I wouldn’t get up at 2am to cut a tree off a roof if I didn’t,” he said.
Mr Buck said volunteers were called out about eight to 10 hours each week and sometimes worked 12 hours in a single night – all while holding down a full time job.
“You don’t sleep much,” he said.
His favourite SES memory came thanks to a five-year-old boy who’d witnessed a car accident.
Mr Buck gave the boy an SES care bear in a plastic bag. To cheer him up he offered to ‘rescue’ the teddy from the bag.
“Thanks Mr rescue man!” the boy said. “That just made my day,” Mr Buck said.