Female VICSES volunteers across the Metro East region will come together tomorrow at Gilwell Park in Gembrook, as part of the growing annual VICSES Women in Rescue (WIR) event, established for female volunteers, by female volunteers.
‘Women in Rescue’ is a targeted training event designed to celebrate women in emergency operations, to get hands on with the tools and equipment, share rescue skills and have fun in a safe and supportive environment.
Founded in 2018, this year is the largest WIR event yet, with a 93% increase in uptake this year – almost double the number of participants to last year’s event.
VICSES CEO, Stephen Griffin said WIR are great for building SES across the state.
“Today’s Women in Rescue events are a great opportunity for both experienced and newer members to come together and share their skills and knowledge in a supportive environment,” he said.
“It also provides a fantastic opportunity to network with fellow female volunteers from across your region.”
Stephen is proud to see WIR grow and build strong members.
“Our female first responders at VICSES are incredible, and attend highly complex, challenging incidents,” he said.
“Our Women in Rescue event showcases their life-saving skills, using the latest rescue technology and training.”
The day will focus on the hands on, practical components of rescue operations.
A variety of specialised training and exercises are set up to cover the diverse capabilities that VICSES volunteers require during a range of different emergencies.
The WIR initiative first came about when the Sunbury Unit recognised the importance of encouraging more women into rescue operations.
It’s designed to help modify training techniques to suit members with varying strengths and capabilities and empower women to showcase their skills.
The event also aims to promote gender inclusion and diversity within VICSES, and encourage recruitment and retention of female VICSES volunteers.
Currently, 1,655 of all 4,893 VICSES’ volunteers are female (34%) and VICSES would love to boost that figure to ensure we reflect the communities we serve.
At the WIR event in Gembrook, the volunteers will be tackling various skills-based demonstrations, including abseiling, a flood pumping station, safe working at heights techniques, and chainsaw skills.
This year, VICSES Maroondah Unit volunteer, Cristina Rojas will be participating in the event at Gembrook for the very first time, and is excited to see the event bring different women from all over the state together, to share their experiences of the day, in a safe and comfortable environment.
“Women in Rescue is a fantastic event where women can come together to share skills and techniques in the rescue space,” Christina said.
“We can experiment with different techniques and handling of equipment, and share this back within our units”.
Not a small event to organise, with both Cristina and VICSES Monash Unit volunteer, Catherine Jolly, working together for months behind the scenes, organising what will be an incredible event for the volunteers involved on Saturday.
“It takes a huge effort to bring a day like Women in Rescue to fruition,” Christina said.
“From VICSES volunteer trainers, event coordinators to unit members and officers, not to mention the tireless efforts of VICSES regional staff.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to work in this space and we hope the event can continue to grow and be even bigger and better in the future.”
For Cristina, the event is a great place to learn at your own pace, there are no expectations, tests or pressures.
All skills are welcome, with an opportunity to share the experience of the day at your own pace.
“When we have our orange on, we all take on a wide variety of roles, including flood response, road crash rescue and searches for missing people,” Christina said.
“Women in Rescue has been a great way to consolidate those skills.”
The theme for the Gilwell event is around wellbeing, from operational skills based learning, to a wellbeing centre available throughout the day for the women, there is something for everyone.
VICSES has many amazing women within the service who contribute significantly to our organisation and their communities.
To volunteer with VICSES, or for further information on what it means to be a VICSES volunteer, visit: ses.vic.gov.au/join-us
