Record number of nominations for WA fire and emergency services awards after busy year

After a busy year for the Toodyay Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, its captain Ian MacGregor has made the final list for the individual achievement award at this year’s WA Fire and Emergency Services Awards. Mr MacGregor, a former butcher and a fuel truck driver for Dunnings Fuel Distributors in Northam, was named with 43 other finalists across 15 categories, after a record number of 140 nominations were put forward — a 35 per cent increase from last year. Mr MacGregor has been involved in the service for 30 years and said in the past 12 months he had witnessed some of the most horrific road accidents he’d seen in his time. The Toodyay Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service were called out to 12 road accidents in the past 12 months, six of which were fatal. “Three of the six I would rank in the top five worst accidents I have attended,” Mr MacGregor said. He put the recent results down to driver inattention (using cell phones while driving), driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or just making stupid decisions on the road. Mr MacGregor said there were five volunteers from the Toodyay service that had been nominated, and some were likely to receive an award in the future because of their commitment and dedication to the community. “I’m humbled to be nominated,” he said. “It’s about giving back to the community. “What you put in you get back.” Mr MacGregor is recorded on the Toodyay honour role as serving as an apparatus officer in 1994 before stepping up to a foreman role in 1998, and then appointed as captain in 1999-2023. He said he wanted to leave the station in a better condition that when he first joined, with volunteers that were well trained and equipped to do the job asked of them. SES Youth Achievement Award finalist Charles Hassan, 23, from Merredin, said it had been a busy year, having been deployed to NSW and the Kimberley due to the massive flooding events that occurred. Mr Hassan joined the SES when he was 17 and said he prefers being out in the field assisting where he can. “I enjoy the hands on experience the SES provides,” Mr Hassan said. “The best experience I had was being able to ride in a defence force Taipan chopper from Broome to the Fitzroy River this year.” He said being involved offered him experiences he would not have had if he didn’t volunteer. The annual awards, which acknowledge the vital contribution emergency services make to WA, will be announced at the WAFES conference in September. Categories that attracted the highest number of nominations included the marine rescue individual achievement award, the firefighting team achievement award and the Peter Keillor Award for the State Emergency Service. Several finalists have been recognised for their efforts at major emergencies, including the team at Fitzroy Crossing Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services, who have been nominated for their work during January’s devastating floods. Other nominations acknowledge teams or individuals who have excelled in emergency preparedness or community education and engagement. - Individual awards Murray Lang Bush Fire Service Award Glenys Malatesta, Gelorup Bush Fire Brigade James Morton, Gingin West Bush Fire Brigade Wayne Hatton, Tom Price Bush Fire Brigade Peter Keillor Award Donald Smailes, Kalamunda SES Leonie Briggs, Canine Unit SES Sabrina Horan, SWORD SES Volunteer fire and emergency services individual achievement award Alex Espey, SWORD Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Ian Cooksey, Fitzroy Crossing Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Simone Conklin, Eucla Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Volunteer fire and rescue service individual achievement award Ian MacGregor, Toodyay Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Paul Parker, Dongara-Denison Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Tom Kusters, Lancelin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service - Youth awards Firefighting youth achievement award Callum McLerie, Kalgoorlie Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Dylan Goldup, Kununurra Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Zoe Creach, Fitzroy Crossing Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services SES youth achievement award Anjuli Till, Kalgoorlie-Boulder SES Charles Hasson, Merredin SES Oscar McDonald, Kalamunda SES