Today, Wednesday 21 May, Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) staff members are adding a splash of orange to their outfits to recognise the extraordinary efforts of the State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers who have worked closely with Council for over 50 years.
Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day) is an annual celebration which takes place during National Volunteer Week, to show gratitude to the residents who have signed up to help their community through difficult times.
Chair of the Toowoomba Local Disaster Management Group and Toowoomba Region Mayor Councillor Geoff McDonald said WOW Day is a very simple but highly visible gesture to raise awareness of the impact which SES volunteers have on the community.
"Our Region's SES volunteers have responded to 341 emergency situations over the past 12 months, including assisting the Queensland Police Service (QPS) with missing person searches, conducting forensic searches and traffic management following accidents, and preparing and responding to severe weather events including the recent ex-tropical cyclone Alfred," Mayor McDonald said.
"SES volunteers repeatedly put their lives on the line for little to no personal gain, rather to help their fellow community members. We should always be grateful to them, on Wear Orange Wednesday and the remaining 364 days of the year."
Mayor McDonald encouraged everyone to get involved in future WOW Days by spreading the word of the annual event.
"You can be involved in saying thank you to our SES volunteers by posting photos of yourself wearing orange clothing with the hashtags #thankyouSES and #WOWDAY. Otherwise, you can make a donation to the SES organisation so they can continue their important voluntary work."
There are nine SES groups currently operating within the Toowoomba Region including groups at Clifton, Cecil Plains, Crows Nest, Goombungee, Millmerran, Oakey, Pittsworth, Toowoomba and Yarraman.
The Toowoomba Regional Council Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) work closely alongside SES volunteers to support them when responding to local disaster events. The LDMG provides SES with access to facilities, vehicles, equipment and the technology needed to respond effectively to any emergency situation.
SES volunteers also support and attend local community events such as the Wellcamp Airport 10th Anniversary, Cecil Plains Fishing competition, Goombungee's Jacaranda Day, the Carnival of Flowers Parade, the Toowoomba Marathon and most recently the Mayoral Prayer Breakfast.
If you would like to say thank you to the SES volunteers by making a donation, please visit: https://www.ses.qld.gov.au/ses-donations
