Gerringong firefighter Andrew Sweeney has been awarded a King’s Birthday honour for more than 35 years of dedication to the Rural Fire Service.

The bush fire risk specialist has spent more than three decades of his life fighting and investigating fires, supporting volunteers and ensuring all the crews he oversees are safe.

Most recently, he spent a week in Taree supporting RFS crews assisting involved in rescue and clean-up operation after devastating floods.

Sweeney was one of nine RFS members honoured with the prestigious Australian Fire Service Medal.

“The recognition is humbling, but that’s not why we do the job we do,” said Sweeney, who was appointed head of the Gerringong Brigade in 2014 before stepping into a leadership position as Illawarra District Group Captain in 2020.

“It’s good to be acknowledged for all the hard work and all the time spent away from family, especially when you’re responding to disasters like floods and fires that have devastated so many communities.”

Along with responding the recent floods on the mid-north coast the wildfire and structural fire investigator played a pivotal role in investigating the 2019–20 Black Summer bush fires that devastated the South Coast.

He was also a lead wildfire investigator in the Southern Highlands Green Wattle Creek fire where two volunteer firefighters were killed after a tree fell on their truck near Buxton.

“Investigating that fire, it was one of the biggest of the season and destroyed around 298,000 hectares, where two firefighters lost their lives and so much property was destroyed was pretty traumatic,” he added.

“We have critical incident support teams and chaplains to help us through that but of course it has an impact.”

Sweeney is one hundreds of first responders - police, paramedics, firefighters, marine rescue and State Emergency Service volunteers – awarded King’s Birthday honours for their dedication to keeping communities safe.

The awards fall in the same week as Thank a First Responder Day which encourages people to honour those who dedicate their lives to helping communities in often tragic, always challenging, emergencies.

Thank a First Responder Day is an initiative of Fortem Australia, a support organisation for emergency service crews and their families which aims to educate people about the psychological toll these roles can take.

According to research by Beyond Blue post-traumatic stress disorder affects between 10 and 20 per cent of first responders, and nearly one in seven are impacted by anxiety and depression.

Sweeney is no stranger to the psychological toll placed on emergency service personnel and part of his role in overseeing safety is ensuring the wellbeing of crews.

“There used to be a stigma that when a chaplain showed up on scene it was because someone died, but for the past few years chaplains have called or dropped in to stations for a chat and to build rapport and people tend to open up more with someone they trust.”

Fortem CEO Michael Willing says one in three first responders experience high levels of psychological distress from on-the-job trauma; a far higher rate than the general population.

“This alarming figure highlights the urgent need for greater support and appreciation of the sacrifices first responders make,” says Mr Willing.

“We know that feeling appreciated and valued is important for our wellbeing. The simple act of saying thanks for the challenging, traumatic and often dangerous work our first responders do will ensure these dedicated men and women know that they are recognised, appreciated, and valued by the communities they protect.”

Thank a First Responder Day is now in its sixth year and Fortem Australia is encouraging communities to show their appreciation by thanking a first responder, on any given day, to ensure they know just how valued they are.