To the rescue

THE Victorian State Emergency Services (VICSES) Torquay Unit has seen eight of its volunteers expand their capacity to help the community after recently completing the General Rescue assessment.

The assessment had been postponed due to the coronavirus, but passing it is a prerequisite for members before they are permitted to attend certain incidents.

Matilda Jansen was one of the eight SES members to pass the assessment. She said to pass the General Rescue assessment, members need to have practical knowledge in a wide range of rescue techniques.

“Before joining I didn’t realise how skilled the SES were.

“This is a course that covers lots of general things like if you’re raising a significant weight of a casualty how to do that really safely, lots of holdfasts, which is if you’re rescuing someone from down a steep embankment, it’s how you can pull them safely up to where the paramedics can treat them.

“We were just getting ready to sit the test after months of preparing, and then the lockdown hit just as we were about to sit it, so it feels like it’s been coming for a while.”

Mathew Pulis passed the General Rescue assessment along with Ms Jansen.

Mr Pulis said he has found his journey with the SES very fulfilling and was pleased to now be able to take the next step.

“Now we’re deemed competent to go into the community and put the skills into practice and join in with the rest of the unit.

“The new skillsets you learn with the training, the accreditation and the certificates you obtain and then to be able to compound that back into the community. It’s quite rewarding.

“And the comradery. It’s a team environment and everyone brings in something different.”

Ms Jansen likewise said being part of VICSES had allowed her to meet new people and learn new skills.

“My husband and I moved to the Surf Coast a little bit less than two years ago. It can be difficult to meet new people and I had always been really interested in what the SES did and it’s a great way to meet a lot of different people.

“I think I just enjoy learning new things as well. I’m a teacher, and I find that when you’re at uni you learn lots of things but as you get older you don’t get to learn as much, so it’s been really good to activate my brain in that way.”