Fire and Rescue NSW leader presented coveted national award by Governor-General - NSW
Published: 20 Oct 2023 03:32pm
A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighter has received major national recognition for her efforts in protecting communities from fire, keeping up her important work even after losing her own house to a devastating blaze.
Leading Firefighter, Erin Pogmore, a respected member of Liverpool Fire Station, in Sydney's south-west, has been awarded 'Officer of the Year' at the 2023 Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards (RESCA) involving paid and volunteer members from the ACT, NSW and Victoria.
Leading Firefighter Pogmore was presented the honour by His Excellency General, the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC, and Her Excellency, Mrs Linda Hurley, during a ceremony at Government House in Canberra today.
"It's humbling and overwhelming to have been given this award," she said.
"Looking at the other finalists and their resumes, everyone's impressive and very deserving in their own right.
"The great opportunities, mentorship and training that I've had over the years at Fire and Rescue NSW have been been unreal."
Leading Firefighter Pogmore's career in emergency services spans more than two decades, including the past 11 years working with FRNSW.
Her expertise and experience as a swift-water rescue technician has been invaluable, seeing her respond to major incidents, mentor recruits, develop a First Responder Resilience Program, and take on pioneering roles.
Tragically, last year, while Leading Firefighter Pogmore was keeping communities safe through her firefighting work, her own house burnt down.
"It's been lovely today, after all I've been through, to focus on the positive things in life and how I've supported the community," she said.
"I really want to thank Rotary and the RESCA team for all the work they do to recognise and inspire our emergency services workers and volunteers."
FRNSW Acting Commissioner, Jeremy Fewtrell, congratulated Leading Firefighter Pogmore on the award.
"We are immensely proud of Erin, who not only does her core work exceptionally well, but does so much beyond that to protect and educate our communities," Acting Commissioner Fewtrell said.
"Despite her own personal challenges, Erin has remarkably found the strength to keep up her important work and continually inspire others."
More information on the RESCA program can be found via the official website - https://www.rotaryescawards.org.au/ [external link]
Updated: 20 Oct 2023 03:36pm
Related safety topics
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