It’s weeks like this when mates step in to help mates, and the SES steps in to help other units.

Around here, the rain was welcome, but not far away, the flooding and potential for danger was very real.

On Monday at 5.30am, two of our SES members were deployed to the King Valley to help the Wangaratta unit as land-based swift water rescue technicians, another crew stayed closer to home to help with sandbagging and tree clearing from roadsides, while another crew was at home in case of a call out to a road trauma.

This is what SES members do, often in severe weather conditions, and often when the rest of us safe at home and sleeping.

In order to build the skills needed to perform a role that comes with a risk and can mean the difference between life and death, members at Yarrawonga SES train each week.

They recently joined with units from Wangaratta, Benalla and Shepparton Search and Rescue for a combined rescue casualty handling session.

Three buses were set up with three different scenarios, each one designed to utilise a different set of equipment used to extricate a casualty from a crash.

“Because the nature of what we need to respond to is so diverse, we train every week,” Yarrawonga unit controller Jason Forber said.

“There’s no postcodes once we put the uniform on, we just get in and get it done.”

This particular training session took six weeks to organise, due to its complexity, and Mr Forber said it wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of Woods Bus Lines.

“We owe the whole team a huge thank you,” he said.

“Any time I reach out to Woodsy, he basically says ‘you tell me what you need and I’ll get it there’.

“He just wants to see us able to train and never asks for anything in return.”

Yarrawonga SES has about 30 members and are always looking for more recruits.

“A lot of people say they couldn’t do what we do, but the thing is, you don’t have to,” Mr Forber said.

“Obviously, we want people to be fit and healthy and safe, but if you can’t handle the kinds of things we see, you don’t have to do that.

“And if you’re at work, or for any reason, you don’t need to attend a call out if you aren’t able to.”

“Anyone interested in volunteering should just come on down on a Tuesday night, meet the crew and get an understanding of what the expectations are.”

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Friday, 20th November 2026

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