Cobar State Emergency Services (SES) Unit volunteer Gordon Hill received an Emergency Services Medal in the Queen’s Birthday 2018 Honours List on Monday.
Mr Hill has been part of the Cobar SES since 1992 where he quickly became recognised as a rescuer, trainer and assessor of exceptional skill and capability.
He became the SES Local Controller of the Cobar Unit in 2012, serving in that role until he decided to step down in August 2017 to spend more time with his family, in particular his wife Therese and their grandchildren and to also do some travelling.
Mr Hill does however remain a dedicated and highly skilled member of the Cobar Unit.
He is also passionate about peer support and has a long history of service in that field.
Mr Hill first joined the NSW State Emergency Service, (NSW SES), in 1977 in Urbenville.
Over the next few years he undertook a significant amount of training, qualifying as a Rescue Operator in 1978.
He was appointed as Chainsaw Instructor in 1985 and also as a Rescue Instructor.
Mr Hill and his family moved to Cobar in 1989 where he took up the role of Regional Officer with the Rural Fire Service (RFS).
He worked with the RFS until his retirement in 2011
He is also endorsed to train and assess Disaster Rescue, Storm Damage Operations, Map Reading Instruction Techniques, Senior Rescue Instructor, Induction, First Aid and Road Crash Rescue.
NSW SES said Mr Hill epitomises all that is great about service to his community and agency, exemplified by over 40 years of commitment to the people of New South Wales.
In addition to his volunteer work with the SES, Mr Hill is the coordinator of the Copper City Men’s Shed, is a Rotarian, and is involved in the Uniting Church.
He also still volunteers his time as Duty Officer with the RFS Critical Incident Support team and does five days a month to ensure there is 24/7 cover for any critical incidents that occur in the Cobar area.
“It’s been an interesting journey, there’s been more good results than bad, that’s why you keep doing it,” Mr Hill said of his time with the SES.
“There’s a lot of satisfaction in being able to help people in one way or another.
“It’s a pretty special thing to be able to save someone’s life or to be involved in saving somebody’s life,” he said.
