The Pride of Australia Medal has been running for eight year and aims to recognise unsung heroes throughout the community who encourage and inspire us daily.
Steve Rothwell, Chief Fire Officer congratulates all the recipients for their contribution to the NT Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS).
“Out of 10 Pride of Australia medal categories, NTFRS volunteers took out three of them including Community Spirit, Environment and Heroism,” Chief Fire Officer Rothwell said.
“There are many unsung heroes working as volunteer firefighters and it’s great to see some of them and their hard work recognised on a National scale.”
Lachlan Way – Community Spirit
Lachlan Way is a member of the Howard Springs Volunteer Fire Brigade, which he joined at the age of 16. He has since become the youngest Volunteer Crew Leader within the NT Fire and Rescue Services. Since joining the brigade he has been deployed to Victoria to assist with the most recent fire threats, and to Alice Springs to help control wildfires threatening the community. Lachlan is also part of Wildcare NT and helps rescuers and carers rehabilitate native reptiles. He is an avid member of NT Parks and Wildlife as a contracted snake catcher and has attended over 250 snake call-outs. He continues to educate the community on safety when removing the reptiles.
Chris Peberdy - Environment
Chris Peberdy is a volunteer snake catcher who makes sure each animal he removes is relocated to a safe place. He is also a firefighter who helps with controlled burns by taking care of wildlife and encouraging safe interaction between humans and animals. Chris is on call 24 hours a day to assist with the removal of unwanted reptiles and injured animals, and volunteers with Parks and Wildlife, helping them with crocodile management. He has adopted many animals that could not be released, keeping them healthy and using them at displays to educate people on how wildlife contributes to our environment.
Karl and Bobby Roth - Heroism
Countless bushfires threaten the remote town of Larrimah and the ferocious blazes would stand a good chance of devastating the community - if it weren’t for the tireless spirit of retirees Karl and Bobby Roth. The pair joined the Larrimah Volunteer Fire Brigade in June 1999 and have dedicated their lives to ensuring the region has a reliable fire and rescue response unit ever since. Since 2010 they have responded to a number of high-speed accidents involving severe body trauma, rescuing people trapped in vehicles and providing First Aid and life support while waiting for police and paramedics from Mataranka and Katherine. The Roths have opened their home and provided comfort and support to total strangers who have been left stranded by road accidents.
