A national day of thanks to State Emergency Service volunteers will be held on Wednesday May 17, 2023.
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Held annually during National Volunteer Week, Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW) Day encourages the public to thank and acknowledge SES volunteers, for the invaluable contribution and commitment they make to local communities.
To help celebrate WOW Day 2023 and to thank our volunteers for all of their hard work, Victorian landmarks will be 'flooded' in orange, including the Giant Koala in Dadswells Bridge.
The public can share a message of thanks to SES volunteers this WOW Day by posting on Facebook or Twitter and use the hashtag #ThankYouSES and by wearing orange.
VICSES volunteers responded to 13,700 Requests for Assistance, in a single month as major flooding impacted the state in October 2022.
This was VICSES' busiest calendar month on record.
A major and prolonged emergency event, with some of the worst floods in Victoria's history affecting northern parts of the state.
As part of the statewide response, approximately 372 emergency warnings were issued and more than 900 flood rescues conducted by VICSES crews.
In the last 12 months, VICSES volunteers have responded to over 35,000 requests for assistance - generously donating their time in support of their communities. In the Grampians region, VICSES volunteers received more than 2000 Requests for Assistance in the same period.
The past three years have been three of the busiest year's in VICSES history following three consecutive La Nina's brining a number of severe storms and major flooding.
Whilst SES volunteers are well known for their response during flood and storm emergencies, VICSES volunteers also respond to an average of between 900 -1000 'Assist Police' jobs every year.
This includes assistance at searches for missing people, searches for evidence at crime scenes as well as scene preservation and assistance with lighting towers and marquees.
In addition, VICSES volunteers respond to on average more than 1300 road crash rescues each year and are highly trained to meet national standards and participate in regular capability assessments to ensure they continue to meet these standards.
VICSES CEO, Stephen Griffin said he admired the "remarkable and relentless efforts" of the VICSES volunteers.
"Thank you for your time and dedication, many of you go over and beyond and it is truly inspiring," he said.
Read also: Run the Gap this May
"In the face of adversity, our people are capable of extraordinary things. Whether it's a one in one-hundred year flood event, or deployment to another part of the country to help local communities, VICSES volunteers are here for our communities.
"Wear Orange Wednesday is an opportunity for the public to say thank you, to all the volunteers who sacrifice their time away from their family, friends and loved ones, to help the community rain, hail or shine."
If you want to be a part of the action, learn new skills and serve your community, visit ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer.
