Community Recognition Statement

Saving lives through first aid is what St John Ambulance volunteers do best.

The Macarthur Division – stretching from the Cross Roads at Casula and south to the Southern Highlands – has 50 active and dedicated members.

Its volunteers regularly provide health services for Wollondilly and Camden Council area events – helping people in sickness, distress, suffering or danger.

But it was the devastating bushfires in late 2019 where our local St John Ambulance volunteers really shone. Macarthur members responded to the urgent call for assistance when Tahmoor, Balmoral and surrounding areas were evacuated.

St John volunteers worked at the Picton Fire Evacuation Centre 24/7, assisting evacuees with medical treatment, providing emotional support and ensuring evacuees had access to essential supplies.

It was a surreal and frightening experience for all involved, and St John Ambulance volunteers are to be commended for their bravery, self-sacrifice and compassion in a crisis situation.

Volunteers are our unsung heroes.

I congratulate all of this year’s St Johns Macarthur Division award recipients and give thanks on behalf of our community for their dedication and service to others.