Selfless individuals were recognised for their actions during the 2019-20 bushfires at a ceremony on Sunday, September 15 at Twin Rivers Specialist School in Echuca.

Volunteers from brigades in Kyabram, Girgarre, Rushworth, Stanhope, Tongala, Wyuna and more received National Emergency Medals, a recognition of service to a nationally significant Australian emergency, in this case Australia’s Black Summer.

A horrible concoction of heatwaves mixed with prolonged dry conditions towards the end of 2019 provided a perfect storm that saw fire burn through more than 2.89 hectares of land, destroy more than 400 homes and take five lives.

It was the devastation forgotten among the COVID-19 pandemic, but the memory is forever etched into the minds of firefighters across our region that selflessly put their lives in the line of danger to save countless others.

On Sunday, September 15, around 60 of those individuals were honoured for their assistance in what became known as Australia’s Black Summer.

Two of those who experienced Black Summer on the front lines were Wayne Peterson and Jodie Elvey.

Mere days into the 2020 new year, strike team 2096, comprising firefighters from Kyabram and surrounding areas, was rapidly assembled.

Within hours, assistant team leader Wayne found himself on a plane headed towards the heart of the disaster.

Stationed in Mt Hotham, Wayne said at the time they were some of the worst bushfires he had seen since Black Saturday, and every inch of his nearly 25 years of experience was needed to fight them.

“Every fire is different, but certainly, that preparation leading up to it … this is what we do,” Wayne said.

At Dinner Plain, a mere 13km north-west of Mt Hotham, the brigade protecting the region decided to pull out due to dangerous conditions.

The group of 20 in the strike team helped out 12 local firefighters by waiting on the backline, preparing in case the wind changed and brought the fire up Mt Hotham.

Fortunately, that change never came, and they could head home to family and friends.

Almost five years on, Wayne said while he could not remember the whole thing, there was one thing that still haunted him.

“The devastation will never leave my mind,” Wayne said.

“The local firefighters, that’s where they live — so it was certainly heartbreaking to see that they had to leave their homes to be safe,” he said.

About 13 hours north from where Wayne was set up, Jodie’s view in Grafton, NSW, looked a bit different.

Instead of directly battling flames, Jodie served as a crucial ‘penciller’, meticulously documenting all crew activities to ensure effective communication and co-ordination.

It was her fourth season with Kyabram CFA, but with experience in the SES, she was eager to put her hand up and help in any way she could.

She and another volunteer were set up in a field operation vehicle brought from Echuca where they would relay information between different brigades about bushfires along the NSW north coast.

Jodie said she struggled with the idea of not being able to actively participate in fighting the bushfire but understood the importance of her position back at base camp.

“I wanted to get on the back of the hose and actually fight the fire rather than being off to the side and doing radios,” Jodie said.

“(I was) still sort of fresh baked a bit, really learning the ropes … but (I) just wanted to help out the community so that’s why I put my hand up,” she said.

Both Wayne and Jodie battle with the idea of getting recognition — hesitant to call themselves ‘heroes’.

“We don’t do it for the recognition, but it’s nice to have some recognition,” Wayne said.

“We’re here for Kyabram and the greater district, but you know, were also here for Victoria and Australia … we’re happy to go out and help our fellow Australians,” he said.

“In the speech from the chief (at the ceremony) he mentions that some of us think we don’t deserve the recognition or don’t need the recognition, but he emphasised that it’s Australia thanking us for what we do.”

While members of the Kyabram brigade meet every Tuesday at the Bradley St headquarters, their gathering on Sunday, September 15 had a different atmosphere, meeting in their formal uniforms to be recognised for their selflessness nearly five years prior.

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