The incredible efforts of three local Werribee firefighters, to assist a women in need after being kicked in the head by a horse during a raging bushfire in 2019, have been recognised at the Werribee Fire Brigade’s recent annual dinner.
Werribee volunteer firefighters Daniel May, Rohan Rizzoli and Josh Finlayson received the Unit Citation for Service award from CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan
for assisting a woman with critical head injuries who was helping evacuate four horses from a property during a dangerous bushfire in Bunyip on March 4, 2019.
Werribee firefighters were the second crew to arrive on scene and immediately began creating a make-shift neck collar from a towel to secure the injured woman’s head and neck.
The three members were recognised for their quick response to a distressing and complex situation.
“We heard radio transmissions from a nearby crew, we were just down the road from them and responded without hesitation, when we got to the scene, we saw the women laying their motionless and knew that she was in a bad way, we didn’t have time to think” Lieutenant Rohan Rizzoli said.
“We did what anyone else would’ve done, we used our skills that we are taught and we put them into action that night,” said firefighter Daniel May.
Lieutenant Rizzoli also shared the esteemed firefighter of the year award with colleague John Lister, while Darryl Wells and Michael Trifilo were joint recipients of the Pengelly award.
Members with five to 40 years experience were presented with service awards.
Cade Lucas.
