Firefighter acknowledged with leadership award

EAGLEHAWK CFA Captain Kylie Davis has been recognised by the statewide organisation for demonstrating quality leadership.

Ms Davis was a dual recipient of the Chief Officer Emerging Leader Award at the 2022 Spirit of CFA Awards, alongside Port Campbell Fire Brigades Katy Millard.

She said as much as the award acknowledges her, there’s a whole team behind the brigade captain.

“It’s an honour to be recognised, but I’m not the only one who does everything,” she said.

“As a captain, I’m only as good as the Brigade Management Team, our officers, and the brigade around me. It makes it a lot easier when you’ve got good members to support you.”

CFA Acting Chief Officer Gavin Thompson, said Kylie was nominated for the award after guiding the brigade through the COVID-19 pandemic and “rebuilding moral and response capability.”

“She has led the brigade back to a stable, strong dynamic brigade that is growing in membership,” Mr Thompson said.

“Kylie should be proud of what she has achieved, and I look forward to watching her continue to shine as a CFA leader.

“CFA is incredibly proud of its volunteers and staff, and it is great to see Kylie along with all our members recognised for their contributions to both our organisation and local communities.”

To Ms Davis, leadership is “not just about standing at the front and directing.”

“It’s also about having a quiet word to someone and seeing if they’re ok, recognising the members who might be quiet achievers as well, and surrounding yourself with a good network of people to run things by when making decisions,” she said.

The Spirit of CFA Awards is a biennial event that was first held in 2018.