Fire & Rescue NSW Illawarra zone commander Superintendent Tony Waller is the overall winner in a paid capacity at the 2019 Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards.
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The 38-year firefighting veteran's experience includes being a team leader in an Australian earthquake taskforce in Christchurch and an operations officers in the NSW cyclone taskforce in Proserpine, Queensland after Cyclone Betty.
Supt Waller was transferred to Wollongong Fire Station earlier this year and is the senior officer in the region.
Up until recently he was the technical manager responsible for rescue, driver, first aid, breathing apparatus and fire fighter training at the training academy in Sydney.
With his background in road crash rescue and urban search and rescue he was called to help the Christchurch community after the earthquake, Proserpine after Cyclone Betty and when floods hit the Northern Rivers.
He has also lectured overseas on behalf of the United Nations to developing countries on urban search and rescue.
His other roles include being a Scout leader, the director of education on the board of Surf Life Saving NSW overseeing the education needs of 129 surf clubs and 75,000 lifesavers.
He is also governor of Coogee SLSC where he still patrols the beach after 45 years. And has been a rescue crewman with the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service for 35 years.
Supt Waller said he did voluntary work for the same reason Rotarians who put service above self.
"I am lucky to have had a profession that allows me to put back into the community," he said.
"I believe it is up to each of us to put back into the community. I love doing all those things".
Supt Waller is also a trustee of the Historic Sea Baths Committee and is a trustee of the Fallen Life Savers Memorial which he instigated to honour all the life savers in Australia who were killed in theatres of war.
He said he did not know who nominated him and did what he does without seeking any recognition.
"The things I do to put back into the community are my past-times," he said.
"It is something I really enjoy doing. Particularly with Scouting and surf lifesaving where you are dealing with youth and future citizens. If you can help develop them into being good citizens that is a really good thing".
The overall winner in a volunteer capacity was NSW Volunteer Rescue Association Captain of the Albury and Border Rescue Squad Paul Marshall who has actively promoted interagency cooperation as a serving member of Victorian Police Highway Patrol.
He was also part of a team who traveled to Vanuatu to train locals in disaster preparedness and rescue operations.
The two were named overall winners after taking out their own agency category
The other agency winners were Port Macquarie's coxwain Raymond Angel of NSW Marine Rescue, NSW Ambulance Duty operations manager Inspector Kevin McSweeney, of Northmead, NSW Rural Fire Services captain and treasurer Edwin Newbery, of Copmanhurst, NSW SES Deputy Unit commander Peter Dadd, of Hunters Hill.
The NSW Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards grew from an annual event started by Rotary clubs in the Illawarra to recognise unwavering commitment to community safety.
The 2019 awards were presented in Bankstown on Friday night.
Police and Emergency Services minister David Elliott said it takes a committed person who values their community to put themselves on the frontline when disaster strikes.
"I want to thank all the winners and the other finalists for being the people the community turns to when they need help," he said.
The $1000 Dorothy Hennessy Emergency Services Youth Scholarship was awarded to Jessica Pengilley, a trainee operator with NSW Volunteer Rescue Association's Dubbo Rescue unit.
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