Join the community online this morning (Sunday) in honouring and paying respects to emergency service volunteers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while working to protect others.

The annual NSW Emergency Service Volunteers Memorial Service will be live-streamed at 11am today. It commemorates volunteers from the NSW Rural Fire Service, State Emergency Service, VRA Rescue NSW, Marine Rescue and the predecessor organisations.

Sadly four new names will be added to the memorial located in Sydney, said Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott.

• NSW Rural Fire Service volunteer Jim Shanahan, who was Deputy Captain of the Hill End Rural Fire Brigade. On 9 October 2020, Jim returned to the Hill End station after attending a vehicle fire and suffered a heart attack.
• Keith Lyons, Health and Safety Officer of the Braidwood Rural Fire Brigade, who served the Braidwood community until his death on 13 May 2020.
• NSW Rural Fire Service volunteer Robert Platt, who was killed on duty while protecting the community as part of the Frogmore Rural Fire Brigade on the 28 February 1932. Robert was fighting a fire and felling burning trees with his brigade at Breakfast Creek, near Boorowa, when he was struck by a falling tree branch and killed.
• John Gallimore of the Jervis Bay Marine Rescue Unit, who was on active duty as a watch officer on the 15 February 2021 when he died of a heart attack while serving the community.

Minister Elliott said while the memorial service is a time for solemn reflection, it is also a time to take great pride that people still selflessly commit themselves and their families to the service of their communities.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have close to 90,000 emergency services volunteers in this state. Without volunteers, our communities would be far less resilient. We are better for the dedication and commitment of every volunteer in NSW,” Minister Elliott said.

To join the service at the rfs.nsw.gov.au website

For a copy of the memorial service program click here.

Image: NSWRFS.