Narre Warren North’s Rod Harris has been awarded the Fire Service Medal in recognition of the TEENS program and his service in the community.By Rebecca Fraser
SITTING in a gutter after pulling two teenagers from a horrific car wreck, Narre Warren North fire officer Rod Harris realised something had to be done.
So the 48yearold father of two formed a new program with the assistance of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade called TEENS Teaching, Enlightening, Encouraging and Nurturing Safe drivers.
Mr Harris’ distinguished service, leadership and dedication in the community, and in particular the development of the TEENS road safety program, has earned him the Fire Service Medal this Australia Day.
He said he was very humbled by the honour and was looking forward to officially being presented with the medal at Government House in July.
Mr Harris joined the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in 1980, and is currently station manager at Oakleigh.
He said he had attended his fair share of road accidents in his time and was very passionate about his job and the TEENS program.
But he admitted that attending regular car crashes had taken its toll and he was keen to get the message across to young people that road accidents can change your life forever.
“I love working in the community and get a great buzz when I help people out,” he said.
“It gives you a good feeling, it is a real family environment, and you are working with good guys and I have made some great friends.”
This is not the first time the TEENS program and Mr Harris’ work has been recognised.
The program has also been awarded the Emergency Services Foundation Scholarship and Mr Harris travelled to the United States to look at similar road safety programs.
He said the TEENS program was designed to create a realistic image of a car crash and highlight the ramifications of careless driving.
“I have been doing road accident rescue for the past 19 and a half to 20 years of my 25year service,” he said.
“Over the past eight or nine years, I have noticed a real rise in the number of teenage road traumas.
“I started to think whatever is out there is obviously not working and maybe there needs to be some sort of program with a different outlook.”
Mr Harris said the idea of the TEENS program was not to traumatise young adults, but instead to leave a lasting impression before they got behind the wheel.
“A guy that is wheelchairbound from an accident comes in and talks and we play out a reallife car crash with trauma makeup and actors playing parts.
“There is screaming and yelling from the actors and it is very real.
“I attend at least one crash a week and I have seen my share of blood, guts, death and Christ knows what else.
“It is just such a sad loss of life that is lost sometimes in a moment of teenage madness – changing people’s lives and their families forever.”
Mr Harris said he also discussed the financial, legal and physical ramifications related to car accidents and said at least one of these elements was involved in every crash.
The TEENS program originally involved the MFB, police and ambulance service, but Mr Harris said the fire brigade was now going it alone.
He said his wife Linda and work colleagues had been very supportive of the program and his career.
“My wife knows about it (the medal) and is pretty stoked about the whole thing.
“She is even more stoked then what I am,” he said.
