At a St Florian’s Day award ceremony in Dubbo earlier this month, two firefighters accepted the Commissioners Unit Certificate for Service on behalf of the brigade.
It was awarded specifically for their “outstanding and continuous involvement in the Green Valley fire at Jingellic.
“The Berrigan RFS involvement at this horrific natural disaster started from its very start on December 29, 2019 and continued through to its declaration of being contained,” Federation Zone Group Captain Greyd’n Davis said.
“It was some 20 plus days of intense fire fighting.
“In particular it was recognition of the enormous effort that Berrigan members put in on January 4, 2020.
“On this particular day of catastrophic fire danger, the village of Jingellic came under immense threat from the ferocious fire front.
“Without a second thought, the Berrigan crew and other units went into asset protection in and around the village.
“They took a major stand in successfully protecting the historic Jingellic Hotel.”
The Certificate of Commendation made sure to specifically mention former Berrigan firefighter Ron Jinks, who travelled back from Queensland to bolster Berrigan’s ranks.
Mr Jinks joined the Berrigan RFS in the 1990s, and relocated to Queensland five years ago.
“When Ron heard about the team, he drove 1300km to join his crew mates,” the citation reads.
“At 82 years of age he was an integral part of the team, never stopping nor shirking a duty.
“(All) Members performed beyond the call of duty, both individually and as a cohesive and committed unit deserving of great credit.”
Capt Davis said the community rallied around Mr Jinks when he arrived in town to offer his assistance, providing free accommodation and meals during his stay.
Mr Jinks was one of the firefighters in Dubbo to accept the award, along with brigade Captain James Macartney, who was the Brigade Captain at the time of the Green Valley Fire.
Other firefighters specifically mentioned in the citation are Grp Capt Davis, Arthur Dempster, Philip Selman, Tamara Graham, Ashley Batten, Lauren McAndrew, Daniel Sharp and David Woodward.
Inspector John Russell, district manager for Southern Border, was also in attendance to show support and thanks to the Berrigan Brigade.