Forbes fire captain named in Australia Day Honours
Published: 26th January 2017
Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) fire officer Captain Brian Clarke’s long and dedicated service in leading emergency response and educating residents about fire safety in the Forbes area has been recognised in today’s Australia Day Honours.
A retained, or on-call, firefighter with FRNSW for nearly 40 years, Captain Clarke has been awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM).
The AFSM is the highest honour an Australian firefighter can receive and Captain Clarke is one of three FRNSW firefighters awarded the prestigious medal in today’s honours.
FRNSW Acting Commissioner Jim Hamilton congratulated the Forbes station commander on the well-deserved recognition.
“Captain Clarke joined the Forbes brigade in June 1978 and has held leadership positions since being promoted to deputy captain in 1996 and then captain in 2001,” he said.
“He is a highly-regarded leader in the emergency services field and his strong leadership and management skills are reflected in his dedicated, committed and skilled team of retained firefighters.
“Captain Clarke has played an integral role in mentoring his firefighters with a number progressing to full-time careers within FRNSW.
“He not only leads FRNSW’s emergency response and recovery operations in a wide, diverse regional community but also actively engages with school children and seniors on fire safety.
“Captain Clarke has served FRNSW and the people of Forbes and surrounding communities with pride and distinction for nearly 40 years.
“He is a worthy recipient of the AFSM.”
Captain Clarke will be presented with his AFSM at a ceremony later in the year.