Cobram SES welcomes new members

For locals Mitch Heaton, Jai Draper and Teresa Jarred, the orange overalls is all part and parcel of the new journey they are undertaking.

The three locals joined Cobram SES at the start of 2024, and though it’s still early days, they are enjoying every second of it.

For Mr Heaton, a store manager, the desire to join came after he returned to Cobram after 10 years away.

“I wanted to do more for the local community,” he said.

“For the last 10 years, I’ve worked out of town, and now I work in town, and it’s given me the opportunity to give back.”

So far, both recruits’ SES life experience has comprised online inductions and attending SES training sessions on Monday nights to learn about life in the SES.

They also had the chance to meet the other members of the Cobram SES.

For Mr Heaton, getting to know other SES members has been one of the best experiences so far.

“Its still very early but so far Ive met people from very different backgrounds,” he said.

Mr Heaton is no stranger to volunteering, having already been a volunteer for the RFDS Community Transport Program, and he said that joining the SES was a simple process.

“It was really easy,” Mr Heaton said.

“I filled out an online application, and then a member from the Cobram branch gave me a call, and I went in for an interview.”

Once he becomes fully qualified, which takes several months, Mr Heaton will have the position of volunteer responder and, as the title suggests, will be responding to various situations from floods to trees being knocked down to car accidents.

Asked whether he is nervous about attending car crashes and the possibility of seeing horrible events, Mr Heaton said he understood that he would always be supported and never be made to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with.

“I think the most important thing is that when talking to other members of the SES during the application process and from what I’ve read up, it is an incredibly supportive network, and you’re never forced to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

For Mr Draper, the decision to join the SES came from a desire to learn new things and already knowing members of the SES.

“I knew a couple of people in it, and I enjoy learning new things, and it helps the community, which is always a bonus,” he said.

“Everyone involves wins.”

Mr Draper told The Courier that the best part of being in the SES was learning new things and being part of the SES community.

A fitter and turner by trade, Mr Draper said joining the SES was an easy process and that he would easily fit being an SES member into his life.

“I’m not married and don’t have kids, so I’ve got a lot of free time to do SES stuff,” he said.

For Teresa Jarred, it was the devastating 2022 floods that prompted her to join the SES.

“I applied to become an SES volunteer back in late 2022 during the Shepparton-Rochester floods, feeling helpless but desperately wanting to help,” she said.

With her children all grown up, Ms Jarred said she decided to join the SES to fulfil her dream and to assist the community.

Initially she thought she might be too old to join but she soon found out that wasn’t the case.

“I was worried I was too old, too unfit and too busy to be a valued team member, but this has not been the case,” she said.

“Our unit has members of all different ages, abilities and backgrounds.”

Like her two fellow recruits, Ms Jarrad said meeting new people and learning new skills is the best part so far about joining the SES.

“There has not been a single week that I haven’t learnt something new or acquired a new skill,” Ms Jarrad said.

Cobram SES deputy unit controller Luke Herezo is ecstatic about receiving the new recruits.

“It’s been fantastic, the new model facility comes a long way in drawing new volunteers to the Cobram unit,” he said.

According to Mr Herezo, the Cobram SES unit is processing a further three applications and he is looking forward to the soon-to-be six new recruits progressing as a group.

Once qualified, members of the SES can move into specialised roles including administration, public liaison, truck drivers, road crash rescue operators and deck hands.

As for anyone else wanting to join, Mr Herezo said they shouldn’t hesitate to get in touch.

“Just come down to the local unit on a Monday night, get online or get in touch with someone already in the unit,” he said.