Manitobans who responded to a call for help when wildfires raged across Australia last year have received a citation from a state government in that country.
The New South Wales – Premier’s Bushfire Emergency Citation recognizes 11 members of the Manitoba Wildfire Service for their contributions to the emergency response through various missions between December 2019 and March 2020.
Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard says “Manitobans are known the world over for their generous spirit and we were pleased to be able to send staff to support Australia during its time of need. These individuals do not tackle their jobs in the hopes of praise or public adulation, though they certainly deserve our praise, and we welcome the recognition and appreciation from Australia.”
Organized through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre based in Winnipeg, the Manitoba Wildfire Service co-ordinated a number of deployments of staff on behalf of the province. Team members joined those of other wildfire management agencies across Canada to support the wildfire suppression efforts in Australia, and Manitobans served in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Each deployment lasted between 30 and 38 days, with the Canadian members assisting in a variety of positions including roles in command, aviation, planning, logistics and operations.
