Orange army thanked on Wear Orange Wednesday

LOCAL SES volunteers have been recognised for their selfless contributions as part of Wear Orange Wednesday, a national day of thanks for all State Emergency Service members.

Held on Wednesday, May 20, Wear Orange Wednesday, also known as WOW Day, recognises the thousands of volunteers who give time from their personal lives to respond to emergencies across Victoria each year.

In just the past 12 months, VICSES volunteers have responded to more than 32,000 requests for assistance across the state.

Across Bass Coast and South Gippsland, our local units have been busy, responding to everything from fallen trees, vehicle and marine rescues, and everything in between.

Inverloch SES unit controller Neil Warren said WOW Day presents an opportunity for volunteers to be seen by the community.

“It just means that we get recognised by the community for the work that we do throughout the year,” Mr Warren said.

“It’s just nice to be recognised and be seen. People think about the SES instead of just taking it for granted.”

The Inverloch unit currently has 12 active members who respond to about 100 jobs per year.

It covers Inverloch, Tarwin Lower, Venus Bay and surrounding areas.

Inverloch SES is unique even among the SES branches.

“We’re the only SES unit in the state that does marine rescue,” Mr Warren said.

The Inverloch branch has two boats and covers the waters from the tip of Wilsons Promontory through to San Remo, as well as the Inverloch inlet.

Many of their jobs involve broken down boats, jet skis, kayaks and paddle boards blown offshore.

Leongatha SES unit controller Matt Saario said WOW Day gives us a chance to reflect on volunteers’ commitment.

“It’s a bit of time to reflect and celebrate volunteerism,” Mr Saario said.

Leongatha responds to about 280 jobs a year, although that number spikes during major weather events, as it did during the 2024 Mirboo North storms.

About 80 per cent of the unit’s callouts relate to fallen trees, whether they’re on roads, driveways, homes or other properties, but they also respond to car accidents and missing or injured people.

Mr Saario said the unit has about 20 active members, but is looking for more volunteers, particularly daytime responders between 8am and 4pm, when most people are unable to respond due to work commitments.

“You’re never too old to join the service,” he said.

Wonthaggi SES unit controller Jarrod Hargreaves said WOW Day helped promote the organisation and remind the community that SES units were volunteer-based.

He said the Wonthaggi branch has been busy with rescue work this year.

“We’ve had a busy season for rescue this year, road accidents and things like that, so it’s been a pretty busy start for us,” he said.

Wonthaggi has 12 operational volunteers and covers Wonthaggi, Dalyston and Cape Paterson for storm response, but its rescue boundary extends a lot further than that, including Pound Creek, Anderson, Ryanston, Kongwak and Glen Alvie.