In 2022, one of the biggest floods in Australia’s history inundated Lismore in New South Wales, causing devastation to the local community. This desolation was felt across Australia and is the driving force behind Anna Porter’s motivation to join her local State Emergency Services (SES) as a Volunteer in South Australia. Anna takes pride in supporting her community through her Volunteering with the SES and role as Babcock’s Learning & Development Coordinator.
When I saw the impact that the Lismore floods had on individuals, families, and businesses, I felt passionate about contributing in whatever way I could. This led me to joining the South Australia SES to serve my own community throughout major events and in times of need.
With my SES role I am qualified to attend call outs for a range of events, including land search operations, first aid support, and rescue operations. Alongside my operational duties, I also contribute as the Health and Wellbeing Coordinator for my unit.
The first major event I supported was an extreme storm that hit the Adelaide Hills and Southern Suburbs in November 2022, affecting more than 80,000 residences. When our crew arrived at Upper Sturt, I was shocked at the site in front of me; there wasn’t a part of the road or footpath that wasn’t covered in debris from fallen trees or collapsed power poles.
The Crew Leader at the time recognised that I was still very new to the role. She took the time to guide me through critical duties and ensured that I was exposed to tasks that would help with my development but were also safe for someone without prior knowledge and experience. These tasks included radio communications, community engagement, and clearing broken down tree logs.
What made this event unforgettable was witnessing the volume of people who came to help. Our crew was one of many teams of volunteers that came together to help get this community back on track.
As someone who became a volunteer with no prior experience, to then helping communities in need during times of crisis, providing support with medical emergencies, disaster relief, and assisting with search and rescue operations, I am proud of my contribution and of how much I’ve grown as a volunteer.
As a Learning & Development Coordinator at Babcock, my role involves the development and implementation of training programs across the business in Australia and New Zealand.
At Babcock, my motivation comes from wanting to create a positive impact each day. Being part of the Learning & Development team has fuelled that motivation, especially after being part of delivering training programs from start to finish and seeing the positive effects they have on the business.
Babcock has been incredibly supportive and flexible with my volunteering commitments. In 2023, I was fortunate to combine my Babcock and SES passions and organise a site visit of the Adelaide Helicopter Base for my SES unit. This gave our volunteers a greater understanding of the level of support required, as well as how we as first responders can assist each other in the event of an emergency.