Finalists for the 2020 Rotary Districts of NSW Emergency Services Community Awards (RESCA) were announced and two are in the Southern Tablelands.
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Goulburn's Michelle Rawlinson and Bigga volunteer Denise Perry were named as finalists. The community-nominated award is for all emergency services personnel, both paid and volunteer.
Ms Rawlinson is a volunteer project support coordinator for NSW Ambulance. With a team, Ms Rawlinson oversees the development, recruitment, retention, and preservation of 350 volunteers in 58 locations across NSW.
Many volunteers provide emergency pre-hospital care in rural communities in areas that have limited access to emergency services. She said working alongside these communities is: "my small contribution to keep things ticking along in these towns."
She has worked with NSW Ambulance since 2007 and with clinical volunteers since 2014.
"I love my job and the challenges it presents me," said Ms Rawlinson.
"Volunteers make the world go around and to be so closely aligned with them and to play my small part in assisting them to have the best experience they can is a wonderful honour."
Recently clinical volunteers have been severely affected by the drought, and bushfires.
"Being a part of the devastating drought has been tough...that on top of normal emergency service pressures requires that little bit of extra support," she said.
In January, at the height of the 2019-20 bushfire season, she was part of the southern sector incident management team. She said many volunteers went for months without rest.
"Keeping on top of their well being was a challenge, but one which I made a priority during this period," Ms Rawlinson said.
"The resilience, commitment, passion, and camaraderie people showed to each other was extremely reassuring."
Ms Rawlinson said she was shocked and humbled by the nomination.
"I know people who have been nominated in the past and to be placed alongside such deserving past, present and future nominees for the award is an absolute honour."
There are finalists from Fire and Rescue NSW, the NSW Rural Fire Service, the NSW State Emergency Service, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW, NSW Ambulance, and the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association.
The winners for each service, plus two overall winners, and the young volunteer will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 30.
The overall winners will then represent NSW at the national awards on November 23.
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