Shire of Harvey awarded for employers commitment to Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade at VERA

The Shire of Harvey has shone brightly after receiving an award that recognises the commitment of employers to the Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. The Shire was awarded the Department of Fire and Emergency Services 2021 Volunteer Employer Recognition Award in a nod to the commitment of employers in supporting staff to volunteer for WA’s emergency services. Harvey Shire president Paul Gillett said the Shire was honoured to be recognised. “Our community relies on the selfless service of our volunteers, thank you for all that you do,” he said. DFES said the shire was nominated by Brunswick Volunteer Fire Brigade member Robert Burgoyne, who had an association with both organisations. The department said the shire recently made an official policy to allow volunteers to take time to respond in emergencies without any loss of benefits. This means volunteers can nominate for interstate deployment ahead of time and know that they do not have to use personal leave. The Harvey branch of McColl’s Transport was nominated by Troy Telfer, a volunteer with the Murray SES unit and a member of the road crash rescue team of the Harvey SES unit, which attends critical road incidents. DFES said the company had a policy of working with emergency services wherever possible and allowed employees to respond to emergencies. The awards ceremony in Bunbury recognised about 20 businesses, organisations and volunteers and 80 employers from across WA received awards.