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Peers award QAS for
management practice
QAS Governance and Management Services Unit
Director Darren Hall (left) is presented with the
Management Practice award by Mike Willis of the
NSW Ambulance Service on behalf of the CAA
Jim’s our top fire vollie
North Queensland Rural Fire Service
A member has taken out the top honour
for the state’s fire service volunteers.
At a presentation held in Brisbane last
month, First Officer Jim Besgrove from
Rangewood Rural Fire Brigade (RFB) was
named the <strong>QFRS</strong> Volunteer of the Year for
<strong>2011</strong>.
<strong>QFRS</strong> Commissioner Lee Johnson
presented Jim with his award at the annual
Commissioner’s Awards for Excellence
(CAFE).
Jim (pictured right) has faced more
than 60 fires this year alone with the
Rangewood RFB, and said he felt privileged
to receive the state’s top honour.
‘This award is important as it also
recognises the hard work and effort that
has been put in by my brigade,’ he said.
‘We have a strong and active brigade
of 28 members at Rangewood and are the
closest brigade to the urban area in town
so we are always kept busy.
‘We are all very proud of this award
and very lucky to be so well supported by
friends and family to be able to always
be there for the community when we’re
needed.’
<strong>QFRS</strong> Northern Region Rural Operations
Manager Ken Beasley said he was proud
that a local RFB member had taken out
<strong>QFRS</strong>’ top volunteer award and was
recognised for outstanding commitment
and generosity, a quality all volunteers
possess.
‘Jim is a dedicated and tireless worker
who willingly attends every job involving
the Rangewood RFB, who gives an
enormous quantity of his own skills and
time and who never seeks recognition
or praise for the outstanding work he
accomplishes,’ he said.
‘When the “heat is on”, Jim’s
composure has a calming influence on
his fellow brigade members and this
enables the sometimes difficult work they
do to be carried out in a professional and
competent manner,’ he said.
‘The CAFE awards recognise our
exceptional people and Jim is truly an
exceptional person.’
– Caitlin Major
QAS has been recognised for
outstanding management practice
at the annual Council of Ambulance
Authorities (CAA) awards presented in
Sydney on 12 October.
The QAS Business Service Review took
out the top award in the Management
Practice category, while the service’s
leadership and coordination of the
evacuation of Cairns’ public and private
hospitals and other local health facilities
during Cyclone Yasi was named runner-up
in the same category.
The CAA is the peak body representing
the principal statutory providers of
ambulance services in Australia, New
Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
The CAA unites independent state
and territory ambulance authorities to
develop common views and approaches
to ambulance industry issues.
Its annual awards honour outstanding
achievements in ambulance service, and
are judged by an independent panel of
experts in their respective fields.
CAA Chief Executive Greg Mundy
offered his congratulations to the winners,
runners-up and other strong en<strong>tries</strong> in the
<strong>2011</strong> awards.
‘Celebrating achievement is an
important thing to do, not least in the
challenging world of ambulance services.
‘Our members and their staff are
always looking for better ways of servicing
our patients and the CAA awards provide
recognition of that,’ Greg said.
www.communitysafety.qld.gov.au Emergency December <strong>2011</strong> 3