Uralla firefighter recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours
Published: 10th June 2019
A Deputy Fire Captain’s commitment to protecting people and mentoring firefighters in the Uralla area has been recognised in today’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Deputy Captain Kerri Wallace has been awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM), the highest honour an Australian firefighter can receive.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner Paul Baxter congratulated Deputy Captain Wallace, who is one of four FRNSW firefighters to be awarded the medal in today’s honours.
“Deputy Captain Wallace has played a critical role in transforming Uralla Fire Station into a modern-day emergency service, leading our response to fires, road accidents and medical emergencies,” said Commissioner Baxter.
An emergency department nurse, Deputy Captain Wallace joined FRNSW as a retained (on-call) firefighter in 2008 and was promoted to Deputy Captain at Uralla Fire Station in 2018.
With her nursing background, she has been a key figure in guiding and supporting firefighters through the Community First Responder program. This program has seen Uralla firefighters trained by NSW Ambulance to provide lifesaving medical care at emergencies in the local area.
“Deputy Captain Wallace is also a qualified road crash rescue operator and, combined with her emergency medical response and firefighting skills, she has played a significant role in saving a number of lives,” said Commissioner Baxter.
Deputy Captain Wallace has also been actively involved with the Firefighter Championships over several years and provided mentoring to firefighters who participate at these events.
“She is highly regarded by fellow firefighters for her knowledge and commitment to helping others in their time of need and is a most deserving recipient of this Queen’s Birthday Honour.”,” said Commissioner Baxter.
Deputy Captain Wallace will be presented with her AFSM at a ceremony later in the year.