At the Royal Humane Society award ceremony today, volunteer firefighters from Greenvale, Craigieburn, Epping, Point Cook, Reefton and Nar Nar Goon CFA were presented with Certificates of Merit for acts of bravery during the February 2009 bushfires and also a flood rescue in February last year.
Humevale rescue – February 2009 fires
This involved the rescue of a family from their burning house in Humevale, performed by Greenvale and Epping crew members: Steven Povolo; Alan Severn; Andre Smith; John Cheevers; Damion Sloane; Matthew Gedge; Kathleen Kelson; David Woodford; Jeffrey Mendoza and; Michael Cawthan.
Humble in accepting the honour, Lieutenant Steve Povolo – who was crew leader of the Greenvale tanker that day – said all CFA members who served during the campaign fires were worthy of the recognition.
“It’s one of the worst scenarios I have faced but it’s part of the job you’re there to do,” Mr Povolo, a firefighter of 24 years, said.
During rescuing a man, his son and grandson from their house on February 7, Greenvale and Epping tankers both became over-run by fire, forcing crews to flee the scene with the family on board one of the trucks.
“We’d already gone into survival mode (bunkering in the truck) but Epping was out of water and we were down to our last quarter of a tank so we just had to make the decision to try and get out of there,” Mr Povolo said.
“It was so surreal to be calling a Mayday over but everything was just instinct and I attribute that to our training – we just did what we had to do.”
Michael Cawthan who was driving the Epping tanker during the incident said if crews hadn’t made the decision to leave, they wouldn’t have survived.
“A will to live is human nature and in the end we made the right decision in leaving,” he said.
“It was like sitting in a furnace, all you could see out your windows was yellow and orange from the flames and all of the aluminium was starting to melt and twist.”
Nominated by the Mackinnon family of who they rescued, both Greenvale and Epping members have kept in touch with the family – catching up each year for the anniversary of the 2009 fires.
“I am very appreciative for the award and am glad that Epping brigade has been able to keep such a strong bond with the family,” Mr Cawthan said.
For more details about the awards and other recipients, go to http://www.rhsa.org.au/
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