Orange heroes to the rescue - Cranbourne Leader
18 November 2009, Cranbourne LeaderBy day Narre Warren’s Damien Burns, 50, is a fulltime nurse and unit manager at Southern Health’s Dandenong Hospital, but by night he transforms into a different kind of hero. An SES volunteer.
‘‘I love working as a nurse but I knew I wanted to do something else to serve my community,’’ Mr Burns said. ‘‘I like to fix problems and I love being stretched with a challenge.’’ Like more t han 5500 Victorian SES volunteers, he responds to emergencies.
Mr Burns said he joined the Narre Warren SES unit two years ago to add some variety to his life but has since then gained ‘‘ confidence, fulfilment and much more’’.
‘‘Sometimes people can feel as though their whole worlds have fallen apart when their house is damaged in a storm or they have been in a car accident.
‘‘My favourite part of the job is comforting them and letting them know we are there to help.’’
Last week SES volunteers were celebrated across the state as part of National SES Week.
Victorian State Emergency Services chief executive Mary Barry said it was an ideal time to acknowledge and thank SES workers.
