- Western Australian volunteers among six emergency services personnel recognised in King's Birthday Honours
- Medals acknowledge the exceptional service and leadership of career and volunteer personnel
- Recipients have battled some of WA's most dangerous bushfires as well as provided vital support during cyclones and life-threatening emergencies
Six Western Australian fire and emergency services personnel have been recognised on the King's Birthday Honours List today for their outstanding service and commitment to their roles.
Medal recipients include three volunteer firefighters, a State Emergency Service and Marine Rescue volunteer and a Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Superintendent and Assistant Commissioner, each with their own story of unwavering dedication to public safety.
The Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) and Emergency Services Medal (ESM) are among the highest honours for emergency services personnel and recognise those who continuously serve others and make a difference in their community.
Only a limited number of medals are awarded each year. The full list of recipients can be found at https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awards/australian-honours-lists
Australian Fire Service Medal recipients:
- Simone Conklin has maintained a 98 per cent incident attendance rate since joining Eucla Volunteer Fire and Emergency Service (VFES) in 2003, despite being the most remote and isolated fire service in the State. Appointed Captain in 2010, Ms Conklin has adapted to operating under two different turn-out, communications and reporting procedures with different command structures as part of the DFES and South Australia Country Fire Service Memorandum of Understanding and her exceptional communication with State agencies ensures a seamless response during challenging incidents.
- Ian MacGregor demonstrated exemplary leadership and resilience in his role as Captain at Toodyay Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service (VFRS), notably introducing a multi-agency debrief to allow a space for emergency services personnel to address their mental health following a tragic road crash in the Wheatbelt involving several injured children. Mr MacGregor's ability to recognise the emotional toll such a tragedy can have and creating a supportive, inclusive environment has had a lasting impact on both his brigade and the broader emergency services community.
- Philip Brandrett has made a considerable impact on emergency services as a leader over his 32-year career, beginning as a Career Fire and Rescue Service firefighter in 1992 and progressing to Superintendent Lower South West where he continues to serve as a volunteer firefighter and provide leadership and guidance to his colleagues and community. Mr Brandrett has responded to some of the State's most challenging emergencies including the recovery phase following Cyclone Seroja in April 2021 and destructive bushfires and tornadoes. He was also pivotal to the development of the State aerial firefighting capability and served as an Air Attack Supervisor for years, flying alongside firefighting aircraft to co-ordinate strategic drops of water and retardant. Mr Brandrett's many achievements include strengthening firefighting response and communications tactics across the fire-prone South West Capes region and driving community resilience and preparedness to bushfires.
- Danny Mosconi actively led incident management teams as an Incident Controller for many years before beginning his role as Assistant Commissioner. He started his emergency services career in 1993 as a firefighter in the Perth metropolitan area and carries a wealth of experience across a range of hazards and incident management roles. Mr Mosconi deployed overseas to Canada and was part of the team that responded to destructive bushfires in Esperance in 2019, Yanchep in 2020, Wooroloo in 2021 and Bridgetown in 2022. After bushfires devastated the Margaret River community in 2011, Mr Mosconi led a program that enhanced firefighting capabilities in the Capes area, providing training, new appliances and improving facilities at several brigade units.
- Anthony Dodd has responded to more than 900 incidents between 2000 and 2015 alone, actively serving at Bassendean, Kambalda, Katanning, Harvey, Kalgoorlie South and Mandurah VFRS for over five decades. Mr Dodd continues to serve as a reserve firefighter after stepping down from active firefighting duties and dedicates his time to the development of junior firefighters as the Junior Firefighting Competition's coach and judge.
Emergency Services Medal recipient:
- Lincoln Heading served the Kununurra community for over 34 years in varying volunteer groups. He demonstrated exceptional leadership as Kununurra SES Unit Manager for 18 years, using strategic guidance to enhance emergency response capabilities in the Kimberley region. Mr Heading stepped up as the Acting District Officer of Natural Hazards for the East Kimberley in 2019, taking on the role of Marine Rescue East Kimberley Commander in 2020, where he conducted vital search and rescue missions, secured new equipment and grew the group.
As stated by Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia:
"I congratulate these six incredible emergency services personnel for their ongoing dedication and commitment to prioritising the safety of their fellow Western Australians.
"They've been on the frontline of challenging incidents and also driven the development of innovative strategies that improve emergency service capabilities to make our communities safer.
"I am proud to see these prestigious honoursawarded to each of these worthy recipients and thank them on behalf of the State Government for giving close to a combined 200 years of service to the people of Western Australia."
