Belinda Jackson joined the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) in 2013 for her love of community and helping others. Little did she know, she would soon meet the love of her life.
Thirteen years later and Belinda is planning her dream wedding with her soulmate, Joel Harris, who she first connected with at an SES training event.
Belinda and Joel are one of five couples at the NSW SES Campbelltown Unit who met through the Service, and for a short period last year, one of four who were engaged at the same time.
"Joel was a face in the crowd within the scouting movement, and when I came to an SES training weekend, I thought 'I know that face, let's start a conversation' and it's led us to where we are today," Belinda said.
Not only are Joel and Belinda teammates for life, but they have also been teamed up on flood rescue crews during the 2022 Hawkesbury Floods.
"We took a boat from Windsor to Richmond and did a couple of rescues along the way. We had a vet on board and were pulling a lot of horses out and getting them to higher ground, as well as completing welfare checks on the local community," Belinda said.
Joel said the pair work well together in high-stress situations. "To be able to get into a boat in a rescue situation with someone you can trust wholeheartedly is really special. I can look at Bel and she knows exactly what I want to do and vice versa," he said.
Heather Woods and Stuart Densham's love story also began at the Campbelltown Unit - but only after a few missed online connections.
"I was on a dating site and I rejected him three or four times. Funnily enough, I came to the Unit and there he was, up on the top level. That's when it all clicked and I knew he was the one," Heather said.
Stuart still recalls the moment Heather walked through the gate. "I saw her walking in for the first time and noticed it was the woman that rejected me three times. It was definitely love at first sight," he said.
Heather said after dating for a couple of years, Stuart got down on one knee at a mystery picnic in the Southern Highlands.
"We are going to get married in November this year, and we'll have a table for all of our SES friends," she said.
For newlyweds Shawna and Michael Bradley, they knew they were falling head over heels for each other from the first training night they met.
"The very first night he showed up for training, we were demonstrating something for our rescue comp team, and I fell on my butt straight away," Shawna said.
"He thought it was really funny, but I didn't - I was trying to show off because I thought he was really cute."
The pair tied the knot in a special ceremony late last year, surrounded by their SES friends and family.
"I have made a lot of friends at the Unit, who I know I can call on when in times of need. One of my bridesmaids was my SES friend and one of the groomsmen used to be in the Service before he became a Police Officer," Shawna said.
Also planning a wedding for 2027 is fellow volunteers and life partners, Rose-Marie and Shaun Goulding.
"I met Shaun at a training event. We started out as friends before talking more and finding out that we have a lot of common interests," Rose said.
"We're often on the same team for storm incidents, but we're strictly teammates and we're professional. As soon as we're finished on that job, we're back to being a couple."
While these couples have found romantic love at the NSW SES, they all agreed that there's so much more to gain from volunteering.
"We are like a family," Rose said. "The closeness and the fellowship that we have and being able to work together and use each other's skills to get a better outcome for the community. Some people are construction workers and others work in an office, but when you get into the oranges on the truck, you're all doing something for the community."
Shawna encouraged everyone thinking of joining the SES to just "give it a go".
"Don't let age, race, disability, or anything hold you back - SES has a place for you!" she said.
