NSW SES Hawkesbury Deputy Unit Commander, David King was last Friday named the NSW SES winner of the Rotary NSW Emergency Services Community Awards.
The award recognises emergency service personnel throughout the state who have gone above and beyond their call of duty and reflected the Rotary moto of Service above Self.
It is certainly safe to say that David, with 43 of years of volunteer service with the NSW SES, certainly lives up to that moto.
As the Hawkesbury Deputy Unit Commander, David has had his hands full covering the flood prone area. He is also the leading specialist in Large Animal Rescue, a skill he shares with a select few other volunteers across the state.
"I've been with the NSW SES for a long time and have responded to many of the state's largest disasters including multiple floods, severe storms and bushfires," David said.
David is also a mentor to new recruits and even volunteers who have been with the service for many years.
"I also enjoy training members and giving them the confidence they need to take on new challenges such as rescuing stranded horses or a stubborn parrot from up a gumtree, to teaching members how to rescue a trapped person from a car crash.
"I also had the opportunity - thanks to Rotary in 2017 to train and share my skills with a volunteer rescue group in Vanuatu," he added.
David was one of four exceptional finalists from NSW SES who were nominated by their peers for the Rotary NSW Emergency Services Community Awards. The finalists, who have also made a huge contribution to the Service include:
- Ballina Unit Commander Gerry Burnage
- Oberon Unit Commander Craig Gibbons, and;
- Hawkesbury Unit Commander Kevin Jones.
Katie Newcombe of the Harrington Unit was also a finalist on the night for the Dorothy Hennessy OAM Youth Scholarship, which provides the winner with $1,000 for training and educational materials or equipment.
Congratulations to all the finalists for being recognised for their achievements and commitment they make not only to their own Units, but also in their own local communities.
