Hawkesbury residents are being urged to show their appreciation for the NSW State Emergency Service frontliners today, Wednesday, June 9, to mark Thank a First Responder Day.
More than 10,000 NSW SES members form part of the sea of people who put themselves in harm's way during emergencies to provide life-saving assistance.
Hawkesbury's crews, together with those from neighbouring regions, have had their work cut out for them over the course of the past year, with the devastating fires of 2019-20 and of course most recently, the horror flooding which swamped the region.
NSW SES commissioner Carlene York said that members did not serve for the rewards or recognition, but rather to keep other's safe.
"Our members are volunteers, who freely give away their time to help the community," she said.
"Today I'd encourage people to extend a simple 'thank you' their way. I know it'd mean the world to them, as it shows them their work does not go unnoticed."
Ms York said that over the past year, NSW SES volunteers had responded to more than 42,000 requests for assistance.
"More than 10,000 of those were during the recent floods that affected the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley, Hunter and Mid North Coast," she said.
"While NSW SES volunteers are well-known for responding to storms and floods, they do so much more. Our members respond to tsunamis, road crash rescues, bush search and rescues and even support other emergency services by providing life-saving first aid.
"They also help communities that are not their own, including recently in Queensland and Western Australia, where they supported communities after catastrophic events."
Those sending out messages on social media are encouraged to use the hashtags #ThankAFirstResponder and #PowerOfThanks to show their support.
For more information about the NSW SES, including how to become a volunteer visit ses.nsw.gov.au
