Brodie Cowling heaps praise on ‘special’ SES crew in Coffs Harbour
From dramatic swift-water rescues to prying open wrecked cars, the SES is always there. But what is it really like on the inside?
Coffs Harbour
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No stranger to volunteer organisations, there was one Brodie Cowling was drawn to after seeing them in action.
Mr Cowling joined the State Emergency Service’s Coffs Harbour unit in November and recently joined his new comrades as the Big Banana turned orange for Wear Orange Wednesday.
He vowed that even though he had only been a member a short time, he “won’t look back”.
“Seeing what they do in the community … and the amount of professionalism they had, I thought I really want to be part of something special like that,” Mr Cowling said.
“(Joining the SES) has been fantastic, there are a great bunch of volunteers here who are really selfless and give up a lot of time for the community and I wouldn't give it away for anything.
Coffs Harbour SES unit commander James Daniels said the local group of 100 members had responded to more than 1000 calls for assistance ranging from flood rescues to searches to attending road crashes.
Their visibility over a busy summer contributed to a rise in new members and Mr Daniels said while volunteers were united in their desire to help the community, it wasn’t the only reason people got involved.
“One of the number one reasons why people join the SES, and stay with the SES, is the camaraderie, the mateship and how everyone helps each other out,” Mr Daniels said.
“We have a really diverse workforce here and it’s not a club that (excludes) any one particular group; everybody is here for a common cause.”
If you are interested in joining the SES, visit their website at ses.nsw.gov.au.
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