LOCALS are being urged to show thanks to State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers during National Volunteer Week, by dressing in orange as part of Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day) on May 22.

Held annually, the event encourages the public to express their thanks and acknowledge the work of SES volunteers within their community.

In the last 12 months, VICSES volunteers have been hard at work responding to emergencies within their communities, with more than 33,000 requests for assistance (RFAs) received across the state.

In VICSES’ Grampians Region, volunteers have responded to almost 1800 RFAs since last April, including more than 800 downed trees, 255 reports of building damage, almost 250 reports of flood and almost 100 road rescues.

Volunteers also provided vital support to other emergency service providers within their communities on almost 250 occasions, aiding police, fire and ambulance responses with lighting, support and additional boots on the ground.

VICSES acting chief officer operations, David Baker said WOW Day is a reminder for Australians to show support to the many VICSES volunteers who have contributed to their communities.

“Wear Orange Wednesday is an opportunity for the public to say thank you, to all the volunteers who sacrifice their time away from their family, friends and loved ones, to help the community rain, hail or shine,” he said.

“I continue to admire the remarkable and relentless efforts of our VICSES volunteers and applaud their significant contributions to Victorians across the state over what has been a particularly busy period.”

When it comes to rescues, volunteers support Victoria Police across a range of search and rescue roles, with volunteers responding to over 1600 ‘Assist Police’ jobs on average every year.

This includes assistance at searches for missing people, searches for evidence at crime scenes as well as scene preservation and assistance with lighting towers and marquees.

In the 2022-23 financial year, VICSES volunteers gave almost 290,000 hours of their time supporting their communities in times of emergency, with plenty more spent refining their skillset during weekly training events and regular large-scale exercises.

SES encourages the public to share a message of thanks to SES volunteers this WOW Day, May 22, by posting on Facebook or Twitter and use the hashtag #ThankYouSES.

For anyone wishing to be a part of the action, learn new skills and serve the community, visit ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer