Staff members of the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) have been awarded the National Emergency Medal for their efforts coordinating the response during the 2019-20 fire season.
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke joined RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers AFSM to present the medals to 88 staff members who provided sustained or significant service across the state during the devastating fire season.
"Today we have the opportunity to recognise staff members from across the state and congratulate them for their incredible contribution throughout the devastating 2019-20 bush fire season," Ms Cooke said.
"These RFS members went above and beyond to help respond to the bush fires that impacted so many communities. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for your dedication throughout the long and dangerous Black Summer bush fire emergency."
Commissioner Rob Rogers said the medal recipients should be proud of themselves and their dedication to protecting communities across the state.
"The majority of these staff are also volunteer members of the organisation and spent days in the field as well as in incident management teams or state operations," Commissioner Rogers said.
"Many worked non-stop for months on end, and it is fitting to recognise them for their tireless efforts helping to keep communities safe."
The National Emergency Medal is awarded to individuals whose service was in the protection of lives and property or interests that were not their own and who supported the emergency response for a minimum of five days between September 2019 and February 2020.
Personnel were also dispatched to assist with the firefighting coordination efforts across the State, including the Northern Tablelands, Mid Coast, Shoalhaven and Far South Coast.
The staff members honoured today join more than 16,000 volunteers across the state who've been awarded the National Emergency Medal for their efforts during Black Summer.
