Top honours for CFA members CFA members Gary Harker and Jamie Mackenzie were recognised in Australia Day honours for contributions to the fire service and their communities. They received the Australian Fire Service Medal. Gary Harker – AFSM District 4 Operations Officer Gary Harker has earned a solid reputation as a great supporter of his peers during his 47 years of service to CFA. Described as a great influencer, Gary is often called on for advice, guidance and mentorship. He gives confidence to those around him and helps to foster relationships between career and volunteer staff. Gary has an innovative approach to problem solving in terms of fire suppression methods and strategies in the coal industry and the use of Class A foam. His knowledge and expertise were called on during the Hazelwood Mine fire last year where he took a lead role in developing and implementing a successful, suppression strategy. The relationships he has made at CFA have played an important part throughout his long service, beginning as a Junior in 1968 and Senior in 1970. Jamie Mackenzie – AFSM CFA training instructor and Coastal Group Deputy Group Officer Jamie MacKenzie was nominated for for his exceptional contribution to lifting the profile of leadership training in the emergency services through the creation of specific training courses linked to operational roles. Jamie played an integral role in developing training materials and resources that go beyond the merely technical to take into account human factors. In particular, how people operate, how decisions are made under pressure and why mistakes are made. One of the courses which has struck a real chord among CFA volunteers over the last decade is Fireline Leadership. Jamie was instrumental in bringing the course to Victoria and modifying it for our emergency services. Fireline is now in use in five Australian states. When asked about a highlight from his career, Jamie nominated the Linton Staff Ride, an experiential training project which (in real time) simulated events of the 1998 bushfire in which five firefighters tragically lost their lives.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 06:07:16 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015