A Sunbury State Emergency Service (SES) volunteer is being celebrated this International Women’s Day for her work in providing rescue training tailored for women.
Angela Lane, a five-year VICSES volunteer, received a chief executive award in February for creating the Women In Rescue event.
Ms Lane created the event after attending a Road Crash Rescue forum, where she was the only female.
“I almost didn’t go, it was meant to be a workshop for trainers, and I had just recently been accredited,” Ms Lane said.
“Being the only female wasn’t so bad, especially as everyone else had to share a twin room [and] I got my own.”
This experience inspired Ms Lane to set up an event for female volunteers where they could learn specialised training techniques, and receive mentoring.
“The [Road Crash Rescue] training weekend was great, and very inclusive, but I wanted to tip the balance back the other way so the women in my unit could have a similar experience,” she said.
Women In Rescue is a training event which provides women with the opportunity to build on their rescue skills and get hands-on experience with equipment.
Since its creation the initiative has expanded to all parts of the state, with last year’s event running across multiple sites, to help retain and recruit more female volunteers, SESVIC said.
“It’s about building relationships and confidence, but mostly it’s just fun to do,” Ms Lane said.
“You visit with other units, meet your peers, and have fun while learning you can do something you didn’t know you could, or to build on your skills.”
Ms Lane joined VICSES Sunbury as a volunteer five years ago, having never picked up a chainsaw, or tied a complex knot.
“I was never introduced to tools so I’m learning that from scratch, whereas someone who used them in their childhood would have that innate knowledge,” she said.
“So I was competing with a confidence issue, but the only way to get better is to risk stuffing up, find a way to fix it, and let that be okay.”
While Women in Rescue works to tailor training for women, Ms Lane said the event is not just for women.
“Male trainers and assessors can teach a wider range of techniques and be involved with a large-scale training event, so this is a great opportunity.”
On Sunday, March 5, Ms Lane was also celebrated for her work during the 2019-20 bushfires by receiving a National Emergency Medal .
