The NSW Rural Fire Service’s former commissioner presented the plaque on Tuesday to honour South Coast Private’s dedication to helping the organisation’s staff and volunteers – including himself.

Mr Koperberg was recently a patient on the fourth floor of the mental health facility, a level dedicated to emergency service and defence personnel suffering from mood and anxiety disorders and PTSD.

The man in charge of co-ordinating emergency responses for major disasters including the 2001 Black Christmas and 2003 Canberra bushfires had recognised he now needed help fighting his personal battles.

‘’For most of my working life I didn’t have any understanding of mental health issues – you heard the term occasionally in the media but it had no prominence,’’ Mr Koperberg said.

‘’I’m pleased to see there’s now more of a focus on mental health, and it’s gaining wider recognition and acceptance.

‘’When I began to suffer from depression and anxiety I encountered a lack of understanding from many – ‘for God’s sake, cheer up’ was a familiar comment. I still have ups and downs but the support from staff, and patients, here has been invaluable.’’

Mr Koperberg headed the NSW RFS for two decades before a stint in politics as a Labor MP.

After retiring from political life in 2011, he chaired the NSW Emergency Management Committee and undertook consultancy work. However after a heart attack and quadruple bypass, he said depression and anxiety set in.

‘’After putting up with it for a while I was persuaded to check myself in to (South Coast Private), which I did reluctantly, but it took just one day for me to feel comfortable,’’ he said. ‘’It was critical for me to be among other emergency service personnel.’’

He urged other RFS volunteers and staff to seek help: ‘’Get professional help because it will keep you awake at night if you don’t’’.

‘’Being an RFS volunteer can be incredibly rewarding – they save lives each week, and thousands of houses every year.

“But while rewarding, volunteers can also be faced with charred bodies after a bushfire, with critically injured or even deceased children in a motor vehicle accident.

‘’They are part of the emergency response and they then have to go home and try and forget about it, and often they can’t.’’

NSW RFS Assistant Commissioner Stewart Midgley also praised the Wollongong facility for its support of all emergency services personnel.

‘’We send people into harm’s way in order to protect the community – so looking after their mental as well as physical health is very important to us.’’ 

South Coast Private general manager Kim Capp welcomed the acknowledgement for their program  assisting emergency services personnel including the RFS.

‘’It’s crucial for a person’s recovery to be able to do it in a safe space where there’s people with similar life experiences so they can support each other in their journey.’’