Employers celebrated for their support of WA's emergency services

• Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards 2019 celebrates employers of emergency services volunteers from across the State
• Awards recognise employers paying staff for volunteer training, and donations of materials, skills and funds
• Almost 80 businesses, organisations and self-employed volunteers recognised at awards

Employers who play a vital role in keeping the community safe by supporting the State's emergency services have been recognised today at the 2019 Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards.

The awards, in their 11th year, celebrate the invaluable contribution employers make by supporting emergency services volunteers to respond to incidents day and night.

This year 79 employers and self-employed volunteers from across WA received awards that reflected their sacrifices and donations: 38 in the gold category, 29 in silver and 12 in bronze.

Kanny's Earthmoving of Manijmup received a gold VERA for allowing an employee to use their work vehicle to attend incidents, providing workplace equipment and tools for brigade vehicle maintenance and continuing to pay the employee while he attended training.

Canning Vale's Camco Engineering also received a gold VERA for supporting its emergency services volunteers for more than a decade, donating materials for a station renovation and undertaking equipment refurbishments for the Kalamunda Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

The Department of Justice was also recognised for helping a prison officer to attend interstate emergencies as well as supporting local emergency services.

The award recipients employ volunteers from the Bush Fire Service, State Emergency Service, Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, Volunteer Fire and Emergency Service, Marine Rescue WA and the State Wide Operational Response Division.

For more information about VERA, visit http://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/newsandmedia/awards  

Comments attributed to Emergency Services Minister Francis Logan:

"The Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards are an important way for us to acknowledge those businesses and organisations who provide the support our emergency services volunteers need to help keep their communities safe.

"It cannot be an easy task to have an employee away from work, but these employers recognise how important volunteering is to community safety and that disasters can strike at any time.

"On behalf of the McGowan Government and the Western Australian community, I would like to thank all of the award recipients for the support they give to volunteers and their individual service with donations to brigades or providing free labour and materials.

"A big thank you also to those self-employed volunteers who close their doors at a moment's notice to help others as well as donating equipment and resources.

"I am also pleased to see that my other portfolio of Corrective Services has been recognised in the awards for the support they have given prison officers from Wooroloo and Casuarina.

"These officers not only serve the community by maintaining prison security and mentoring prisoners, but they also extend that service by volunteering in our emergency services.

"The contributions made by WA employers who support volunteers help keep our communities safe, and their commitment is a great example to others."

Minister's office - 6552 6300