By Tyler Wright
Emerald SES volunteer Philip Pascall has been awarded a national emergency medal for his work in responding to the 2019/2020 bushfires which devastated the East Gippsland and Mallacoota areas that new year.
Mr Pascall’s medal was presented with the award by His Excellency Governor-General David Hurley, VICSES CEO Stephen Griffin and VICSES COO Tim Wiebusch on Sunday 5 March in Port Melbourne, with some 300 SES members recognised for their sustained service throughout a nationally significant emergency.
Mr Pascall said he was “honoured” to receive the award.
“Working in the fires, you did what you did, you didn’t want recognition,” Mr Pascall said.
“It’s nice to be recognised.”
The Belgrave local was part of a replacement road rescue crew made up of members from Knox, Upper Yarra and Pakenham units sent to assist Swifts Creek and Omeo units.
“When we got up there, the fires had already come through from the Bairnsdale side, so the community was ready for the fires,” Mr Pascall said.
“We were finding a place of last resort [and] we were looking after the people there,” Mr Pascall said.
Helicopters arrived to evacuate residents and emergency service crews, Mr Pascall said, with the town surrounded by fire.
A weather change saw SES crews return to the area to assist in recovery efforts; supplying hay for horses and food to residents.
“One of the things out of the experience, over everything, was the community’s resilience…and emergency services working together,” Mr Pascall said.
“On the relief, we had ADF there with the Army, Navy, Air Force. We were working with police, with CFA fire service Victoria, everybody working together.”
The bushfires burnt nearly 1.4 million hectares of land, left four people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes.
“We’re also part of those communities, so for me I’ve gone from our community, which was around Emerald and Gembrook, which had been affected by the [Bunyip] fire.
“Those members up there, they’re part of their communities, we’re part of our local community, be we can pick up and go and help them in the same as they can come and help us.”
Mr Pascall noted one of the statements Governor-General David Hurley said at the presentation; ‘we get a medal, but the medals should be for our friends and families that support us through that time.’
“We still need more people and more resources…a lot of those things are still planned by volunteers, funding by volunteers…It’s like running a business, but you need people out there all the time,” he said.
