Southern champions clean up at 2025 WAFES Awards

A firefighter who brings a smile to the faces of sick children and another who tackled a fire that burned for months were among the winners in this year’s WA Fire and Emergency Services (WAFES) Awards.

The annual awards recognise excellence in firefighting, emergency management, Marine Rescue and the State Emergency Service (SES), particularly staff and volunteers who went above and beyond the call of duty over the past year.

There were 45 award finalists across three categories – individual, team and young people – with 15 receiving the top prizes.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) career staff and volunteers from the south of the State dominated the prizes, taking home nine awards at the WAFES Awards gala dinner in Perth last night.

Five of the winners are based in the metropolitan area, two operate in the Great Southern with one each from the South West and Lower South West.

During the day Sam Collins is a senior firefighter at Belmont Fire Station keeping communities safe. Then one night a week he becomes a hero to sick kids at Perth Children's Hospital.

Collins manages firefighter visits to the hospital, taking families’ minds off the plight before them. His efforts were recognised with the Career Fire and Rescue Service Individual Achievement Award.

DFES Public Information, which is responsible for issuing hazard alerts across the State, claimed the Staff Team Achievement Award for guiding the development and implementation of the Emergency WA app which provides crucial information for communities before, during and after incidents.

A peat fire burned in Dalyellup for more than six months and Jeff McDougall from the Gelorup Bush Fire Brigade lost count of the hours he spent to ensure the incident didn’t get out of control. His efforts earned him the Murray Lang Bush Fire Service Award.

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said the High Threat Period for southern WA was again extended last bushfire season, lifting the demands on firefighters, other volunteers and DFES support staff.

“Once again our dedicated brigades, groups and units did the hard yards keeping communities in the southern half of the State safe,” he said.

“It is a credit to all our career staff and volunteers that fire and emergency services were able to answer so many calls for help over the past year.

“There are a select few who have gone the extra distance or performed a task beyond their normal duties and it is fitting they have been recognised through the WAFES Awards.

“The award winners deserve the accolades but we can also be proud of their colleagues who respond to dangerous situations every day of the year to protect all Western Australians.”

SOUTHERN WA WINNERS

Career Fire and Rescue Individual Achievement Award 
Sam Collins
Belmont Fire Station

Firefighters don’t just keep communities safe every day of the year. Once a week they can be a hero to sick kids. Sam does both. This year he has taken on greater responsibilities as a senior firefighter at Belmont Fire Station. He has put his energies into training, helping his team remain well prepared for a variety of operation scenarios. Sam also doubles as manager of firefighter visits to Perth’s Children Hospital, forging stronger relationships with volunteer family support groups. The program includes firefighters attending the hospital, playing games, showing off protective clothing and taking kids’ minds off their health struggles. Sam’s interaction with hospitalised children and their families embodies the values of compassion and empathy, making a lasting difference during a challenging time. He exemplifies dedication, leadership and compassion beyond the normal expectations of his role. 

DFES Corporate Staff Individual Achievement Award 
Aaron Kain  
Bushfire Risk Management Officer, Belmont 

Aaron's commitment to excellence is evident in his proactive approach to bushfire risk management. He has played a pivotal role in developing and implementing innovative prevention strategies that reduce the risk of bushfires across the State. Aaron has diligently guided a prisoner rehabilitation program that focuses on bushfire mitigation activities in the community. He defined the program's scope, identifying the necessary equipment, training and processes to ensure its success. Aaron’s efforts not only enhanced community safety but also provided the program participants with a sense of purpose and direction.  

DFES Operational Staff Individual Achievement Award 
Ian Anderson  
Operational Training Support Instructor, Forrestfield Academy 

Lithium-ion battery fires have become a significant issue in our community. Ian’s work on the hazard and electric vehicle fire safety exemplifies dedication to duty beyond normal expectations and innovation in firefighting strategies. He led the efforts to develop Standard Operating Procedures for lithium-ion battery emergency responses. Ian’s innovative approach is best exemplified by his contributions to Exercise Bright Spark and new strategies to manage electric vehicle fires. The exercise provided world-first data on atmospheric contamination and run-off management, establishing new benchmarks for lithium-ion hazard response. Ian has advocated for community education campaigns on the safe use of lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle charging systems. His initiatives have not only benefited DFES and his team but helped protect the broader WA community. 

DFES Staff Team Achievement Award
Public Information Team, Cockburn 

It was a giant job for a small team but it has had great results. The Public Information Team undertook the most significant reform of community messaging in WA emergency services history. Today, the new Emergency WA app, website upgrade and Australian Warning System have become crucial elements in keeping Western Australians prepared for and informed of incidents. Launched in December 2024, the app was an immediate success with about 200,000 users. The team achieved this on top of their normal workload which includes leading the public information response to emergencies, issuing warnings, taking part in national discussions and delivering training and workshops. Together, the technological innovations and statewide implementation of the Emergency WA app and Australian Warning System enable Western Australians to be better informed and safer during emergencies. 

Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Individual Award  
Amelia Fitzgerald 
Esperance Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service  

Amelia embodies the emergency services volunteer. She is passionate in her support for her Esperance VFRS colleagues and is dedicated to helping the community. Last year, Amelia organised the brigade’s first "Fire and Rescue in the Park" event, which attracted more than 2000 locals who learned more about fire safety. Amelia is the driving force behind the brigade’s Movember campaign that has raised $10,000 for the charity. Her commitment to Esperance VFRS is evident by her position as Chair of the Volunteer Advisory Committee. Amelia regularly advocates for training and resources so her brigade colleagues can do their jobs effectively.  

Murray Lang Bush Fire Service Award 
Jeff McDougall 
Gelorup Bush Fire Brigade  

An example of Jeff’s commitment to his brigade was his response to a fire that smouldered for most of the past year. Jeff was a key part of the Gelorup team that, for more than six months, managed a large peat fire in Dalyellup. This incident involved relentless hours, day and night, of attendance. Jeff was also involved in supporting the community following the Bunbury Tornado in May 2024. This involved the washing down of asbestos which he undertook safely without hesitation. Within days Jeff was walking the streets, performing welfare checks and advising impacted residents. Jeff has been a member of the Gelorup BFB for 27 years. He has been passionate about promoting fire prevention programs in the community and conducting exercises such as ‘Burn-Over’ training with SES members, preparing them in the event they find themselves in need of protection on a fire ground.  

Marine Rescue Young Person of the Year Award 
Fraser Boulter 
Marine Rescue Fremantle  

At just 24, Fraser has accumulated nearly 670 hours on rescue boats and radio watch, logged over 110 individual shifts and participated in 93 rescues, mostly with Marine Rescue Fremantle. A standout example of Fraser’s dedication occurred on 7 December last year. Four people in a 4.6m vessel were returning to Fremantle from Rottnest when their outboard engine failed in strong sea breeze conditions. The boat started taking on water and the skipper activated an EPIRB after unsuccessful phone calls. Fraser joined the early response, launching rescue vessel Resolute in 10 minutes and heading to the reported location. After some safety checks, the stricken vessel was taken in tow by Resolute to safety. Throughout this rescue, at night and in poor conditions, Fraser was the senior crew and completed all the tasks required of him efficiently, accurately and safely.  

State Emergency Service Team Achievement Award 
Esperance State Emergency Service 
 
On 30 March this year, a fisherman fell from a cliff into the ocean off Cape Arid National Park, 130km east of Esperance. He had succumbed in the fall and was lodged on rocks pounded by the sea. The Esperance SES were called in to help but recovery attempts were put on hold due to the conditions and team safety. On 4 April, and after several aborted attempts, volunteers from the Esperance unit were determined to use the small window of low tide and smaller swell to complete the recovery. The team used various vertical rescue techniques while battling the swell that often covered them and their equipment with water. Work often ceased while the crew balanced on the notoriously slippery black rock. After several hours, the arduous work was rewarded with the fisherman returned to his family so they could grieve in a traditional culturally sensitive manner. 

State Emergency Service Young Person of the Year Award 
Joshua Yates 
Margaret River State Emergency Service 
 
Josh was destined to be involved in emergency services. His grandfather, grandmother and both parents have also volunteered to help protect their community. It would explain Josh’s passion for the Margaret River SES and his rise from cadet to a highly valuable contributor to the unit. He is now passing on his enthusiasm through training, including running mock operations to prepare colleagues for emergencies, such as evacuating workers from a damaged multi-storey building. Josh, 18, has attended a variety of callouts and assisted in the Bunbury storm response in the past year, showing maturity beyond his years to take on the responsibility of Storm Team Leader. He was also part of the Western Australian response and recovery task force that was deployed to Queensland earlier this year to help with the clean-up after Tropical Cyclone Alfred, clearing downed vegetation so roads could be reopened to the workers and local community.