I think it will take more awareness and profile for number two to actually come together. Profile = more funding. I was also in the SES. Just as the people said above, rock up to a SES base on their evening. You'll quickly get an impression. As land-lubber said the SES does a wide variety of work and there is plenty to learn. I learnt a host of different techniques. Furthermore I got my advanced first aid and casualty handling through them for free.
Appreciate everyone's views and experience guys, thanks for the replies.
As the guys said.... roll up and enjoy. You will learn a heap of new skills, and improve on some that you may already have.
Ropes and knots, First Aid, Vertical rescue, storm damage, land search, traffic control, chainsaw operation ... and more.
I've been a member since 1987 and have enjoyed every bit of it. In fact SES paved the way into my current profession.
Go for it.
Originally Posted by cq freshie
As the guys said.... roll up and enjoy. You will learn a heap of new skills, and improve on some that you may already have.
Ropes and knots, First Aid, Vertical rescue, storm damage, land search, traffic control, chainsaw operation ... and more.
I've been a member since 1987 and have enjoyed every bit of it. In fact SES paved the way into my current profession.
Go for it.
You forgot flood boats!!!! I am not active in SES or Coast Guard any more due to other commitments but either or both are great be prepared for the sh!t work but the good stuff is good to and always a lot of fun if you make it fun.
Give it a go you should enjoy the experience.
From what I see on the TV, the SES spend most of their time doing the jobs the coppers are to lazy to do, like grid searching for evidence, particulary if it involves mangroves, dumps, thick bush!
The SES are getting paid to do it. The SAR groups are voluntary.
When I lived in NSW Nthn tablelands my mate was one of the VRS captains. These guys pried open car wrecks, retrieved bodies, administered first aid and all the other SAR activities. The SES cleared branches and spread tarps after storms. Depends how pointy at the end u like it.
to clear things up......
SES members are NOT PAID!!!!!!!!!!! and we do a lot more than tarp roofs and cut down trees. Esp in the location that i am in. our recent callouts include........ Assist ambulance, Traffic control at major crashes, tarp roofs, support rural firies with welfare, Land searches, Medi-vacs (landing choppers) assisting with local community events, including clean up aus. day, bike races and the like. That is my local unit. other units are ofen doing vertical rescues (absailing) and other things like that
cheers
Yeah Dug, I forgot flood boats, and a few other skills. The list of skills we perform in SES is quite long.
No Feral, we do not do the things "Coppers" are too lazy to do. We assist them in searching when their rescources are used up. I take great pride in assisting Police in the search for evidence at crime scenes, and for missing persons, on more than one occasion.
No Gelsec, SES members Do not get paid. Area Managers, District Office staff are paid, but, on a Local Government Level, we do not get paid.
In some regions in Queensland, depending on the closeness of Fire and Rescue, some SES units are responsible for Road Accident Rescue, and do extricate victims, still without pay.
Cheers.
SO when your watching the news and see the poor old SES blokes wading waist deep in the mangroves, with the 2 fat sargeants leaning on the bonnet of a cop car watching, they are "used up resources" eh?
Cheers.
In NSW when I lived there they did get paid, don't know about QLD.
There was a bit of rivalry amongst the groups for funding etc. In my experience the Rescue Squad was first on the scene and SES assisted.
Not trivialising the role of the SES, but in my area their role was broader than the rescue squad, whose primary role was rescue. cheers
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