Honoured: Captain Todd McCallum receives his citation.
Photo by
ADAM HOLLINGWORTH HIRED GUN
Volunteers, staff and teams from the Mid Murray Rural Fire Service were among 80 rewarded for their “bravery and exceptional service” at recent St Florian’s Day celebrations.
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The ceremony was held in Dubbo, and those in attendance were honoured for their service across a wide and varied array of emergencies, including bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The awards were presented by RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers and Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib.
Firefighters and teams from Moama, Barham, Goodnight, Moulamein and Deniliquin were recognised at the May 4 event.
All were commended for their “committed service to its local community throughout the protracted and challenging flood events of 2022”.
The citations for the local recipients were as follows:
Recognition: Group Captain Dale Bowles receives his citation.
Photo by
ADAM HOLLINGWORTH HIRED GUN
Group Captain Dale Bowles — Commissioner’s Commendation for Service
Over three months, Group Captain Dale Bowles assumed a number of sector command positions at Moama, Tooleybuc, Goodnight and Moulamein.
Initially working at Moama, he demonstrated strong leadership and management ability. Establishing a sector base at the Moama RFS Station, he controlled a multi-agency response involving the RFS, NSW State Emergency Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Police, Council and assisting agencies in a high intensity, complex and dynamic environment.
He briefed, tasked and coordinated all attached crews, determined resource requirements and managed logistical support for the sector.
Once the threat to Moama had eased, Group Captain Bowles relieved other sector commanders further west at Moulamein, Tooleybuc and Goodnight.
Captain Todd McCallum — Commissioner’s Commendation for Service
When Moama flooded in October, Captain McCallum was on the front line, leading his brigade in responding to multiple requests for help from impacted residents for more than a fortnight before the Moama sector was established.
He then provided essential support to the sector commander, helping establish a control room in the brigade station, working tirelessly and providing critical local knowledge. He assisted in tasking arriving strike teams and continued assisting not only the Moama sector but also other responding agencies, while still operating his own brigade.
Demonstrating the utmost professionalism, Captain McCallum was well organised and provided clear direction. His resilience and leadership were notable every day throughout the two-month flood emergency.
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