Desperate search for volunteers, help needed

With volunteer groups often under increased pressure over summer holiday periods, emergency services are calling for community members to step up where they can.

Australian Red Cross Volunteer Helen Martin in ADF Chinook helicopter heading for Bendoc in January 2020 following the Black Summer Bushfires.

Summer is a time for fun and family but for our emergency services, the realities of another bushfire season and holiday road traffic trauma are ever present.

Demand for services are at record highs but the number of volunteers willing to help are at their lowest.

Those who remain are under more strain than ever, particularly in our regional areas.

No authority, community group or club is immune from the limited number of volunteers – from CFA, Ambulance Victoria, SES and Lifesaving Victoria, through to local charity groups small and large – they all need people to put their hands up and pitch in.

Third generation SES volunteer Josh Hutton, Geelong, says the urgent need for more help was required across all agencies year-round but volunteer groups were often under increased pressure over summer holiday periods.

“As people go on holidays, there is more traffic on the roads – unfortunately country roads are over-represented in the road toll,” Josh says.

The increased volume of tourists holidaying to regional areas naturally increased the likelihood of emergency services being required.

“Our Ararat and Stawell branches are often busier with injured walkers out of The Pinnacles in the Grampians, Bright with mountain bike crashes, and our coastal units assisting Ambulance Victoria to get people off the beach,” Josh says.

For his South Barwon unit, it had been one of the busiest years on record with 500 requests for assistance since January 1 – most for severe weather storms and flash flooding.

“Smaller regional areas in particular are always looking for volunteer members to support the local community,” Josh says.

“But the puppy isn’t just for Christmas – our volunteers are on call seven days a week, 365 days a year.”

Volunteer SES Unit controller for South Barwon Unit Josh Hutton.

The scale, severity and frequency of extreme weather events are increasing and with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting one of the hottest summers on record, the Australian Red Cross is urgently seeking more emergency services volunteers to provide support in the regions during crises.

Community members in Bairnsdale and surrounding areas are encouraged to step up, the region having faced multiple large-scale disasters in recent years.

Metung’s Helen Martin has been with the CFA and Red Cross at Bairnsdale for 20 years but says there are “distressingly few” volunteers in East Gippsland.

“We’d love some more locals, there are not nearly enough of us,” she says.

“We had a huge demand for Red Cross services during the 2019-20 fires.

“Local volunteers do what they can to keep things together for the first few days and then one of the great things about Red Cross is the state wide and national systems kick in and support comes from elsewhere to help you carry out your roles.”

Australian Red Cross Volunteers Helen Martin and Jillian Baker.

Australian Red Cross State Manager Emergency Services Victoria Fyowna Norton says volunteering was not only a great way to make a positive impact on the lives of others, but it opened doors for personal growth and exciting opportunities.

“Our volunteers help people and communities prepare for, cope with, and manage the psychosocial impacts of emergencies, before, during and after the event; they are a vital part of Australian Red Cross’ emergency response,” Fyowna says.

“Not only do volunteers support people in their own communities but they also have the chance to deploy to other states and territories to be where they are needed most.

“It’s in trying times that communities come together, and we see our volunteers shine as they do what they do best.”