Department of Fire and Emergency Services announces Mid West finalists for 2023 WAFES Awards

Three Mid West volunteers and a rescue group have been nominated as finalists at this year’s Western Australian Fire and Emergency Services Awards. The annual awards acknowledge groups and individuals who have excelled in preparedness, community education and engagement. This year, 44 finalists across the State have been recognised for their efforts at major emergencies, including Dongara-Denison Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service’s Paul Parker, who is in the running for the volunteer fire and rescue service individual achievement award. Mr Parker, also known as Doopa, is known as a universally liked and sought-after team member who regularly volunteers his time. He was deployed to assist the Carnarvon bushfire, the Cervantes bushfire and the Kimberley flood clean-up in the past 12 months. Mr Parker helped assist local crews and DFES staff to control fires threatening towns and infrastructure in the Mid West and assisted with the clean-up of flood affected homes and community infrastructure in Fitzroy Crossing. Mr Parker also led a task force for a nine-day period during the total solar eclipse on April 20. Marine Rescue Jurien Bay was also nominated as a finalist for the marine rescue team achievement award. Marine Rescue Geraldton’s training officer Ian Astill and senior crew member Sebastian Rausch, who is just 18, are also finalists. Mr Astill has been nominated for the marine rescue individual achievement award and has been instrumental in getting new members inducted and registered. Responding to search-and-rescue incidents as an active rescue skipper, Mr Astill was recently deployed to Coral Bay for 10 days as part of the total solar eclipse event in April. Mr Rausch is in the running to receive the marine rescue youth achievement award after following in his father, Lee, and older brother Tristian’s footsteps and becoming an emergency services volunteer. The 18-year-old has shown an insatiable appetite to learn everything there is to know about Marine Rescue, and has completed six DFES Marine Rescue training courses in five months, studying to become a fully-fledged crew member in near record time. Awards will be announced at the WAFES conference in September.