Volunteers prove Stawell’s gift after more than 50 years of service

More than half a century after first putting their names forward to volunteer for the Stawell community, Graeme and Leigh Edwards (no relation) are still savouring their experience as a Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) volunteer.

The pair, who initially joined the then-Civil Defence of the western Victorian township in the early 1970s, have been pillars of the VICSES Stawell Unit since, serving their community across hundreds of emergencies and contributing to life-saving rescues over six different decades.

Driven to volunteer after being inspired by his father’s work as a volunteer ambulance officer in Queensland, Graeme was quick to jump at the opportunities provided to him by Civil Defence, including the chance to become first aid-accredited and expand his involvement in the community of his adopted home.

Joining Civil Defence on the recommendation of his friend Graeme, Leigh joined Stawell’s dozen-strong volunteer base and quickly found himself deployed alongside Graeme as part of a large-scale missing persons search near Marysville in late-1974, with volunteers from across the state navigating snowy conditions in support of the search and rescue effort.

Following the establishment of VICSES from Civil Defence in 1975, Graeme and Leigh continued to prove willing attendees at a range of emergency requests for assistance, showcasing proficiency in extensive search and rescue efforts at the nearby Grampians National Park, and in Road Crash Rescue (RCR) incidents along local roads and major arterials.

Reflecting on his early exposure to RCR, Graeme remembers physically holding up a lighting rig to assist trauma doctors in assessing patients on scene, while Leigh recalls using a crowbar and a ‘crash’ axe to successfully extricate trapped patients on several occasions.

The VICSES Stawell Unit’s proficiency in RCR was evidently of value to the community, with the Stawell township fundraising for the unit to become one of the first to adopt the well-known hydraulic ‘jaws of life’ in the years immediately following VICSES’ inception.

The life-saving service both Graeme and Leigh have provided their community has been well recognised by the people of Stawell, many of whom have visited the unit following major incidents to thank volunteers for their emergency response.

It’s also been recognised at a state level, with Graeme a member of a VICSES Stawell Unit crew which received a Commendation for Bravery for its 2005 rescue of a pair of volunteer firefighters stuck down two separate mineshafts on New Year’s Eve.

The pair’s vast knowledge of their response area has also proved vital on more than one occasion, with Graeme recalling one incident where volunteers searched the Grampians National Park for a local man who had failed to return to work after going for a run on his break.

After an extensive search of the area in cold, wintry conditions, volunteers located the man in the early hours of the morning near the isolated Boroka Lookout, having suffered extensive injuries following a run-in with a kangaroo, and successfully transferred him into the care of Ambulance Victoria.

It’s these experiences alongside fellow volunteers, who both refer to as their ‘extended family’, which keep the duo coming back to volunteering with VICSES.

Throughout their time, the pair have witnessed more than 300 members and visitors come through the doors of the VICSES Stawell Unit, in addition to training a number of young leaders in their community.

Working alongside other local heroes committed to achieving positive emergency outcomes has proved rewarding for both men, and neither are showing signs of slowing down.

To learn more about volunteering with VICSES, visit www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us.

Quotes attributable to Leigh Edwards, VICSES Stawell Unit volunteer

“I’ve always had a sense of need to give back to the community, and I certainly feel our community appreciates the work we do.

“As emergency service volunteers, we’re working with heroes every day, and that is an extremely rewarding community to be a part of.”

Quotes attributable to Graeme Edwards, VICSES Stawell Unit volunteer

“As a VICSES volunteer, you look out for your members the same way you would your family.

“It’s been an honour and a privilege to be able to serve alongside so many fantastic volunteers over the last 50 years, and I’m determined to continue playing my role for VICSES Stawell Unit into the future.”