By Ashok Verma
THE ceremony to mark the start of the new headquarters on Tuesday was a special occasion for Kilmore State Emergency Services (SES) Unit Controller Steve Caddies.
The new facility will realise a much-longed-for dream for the unit.
“This is one of the busiest road rescue units in Victoria and it’s also our busiest storm response unit. As you look around here, the population continues to grow, and it (the unit) will get busier and busier. So, this new facility for SES and our local volunteer members is hugely important, not just for responding to jobs, but it would also be a place where you train,” Mr Caddies said.
“It’s going to be fantastic. It will also mean that we are able to retain members for having such a state-of-the-art home to work. We really appreciate it. We can’t wait to see the end products.”
The unit, which has 60 active members, responds to a growing number of calls for help, including storm damage, floods and road accidents. It has responded to significant events such as 2020 storms and 2022 Victorian floods. It has responded to 357 requests for assistance this year so far, 403 in 2024 and 237 in 2023.
Mr Caddies said: “Today is a really significant moment for Kilmore SES and for the wider Mitchell Shire. For our members, this new unit means a safe, modern, purpose-built place to work from. You guys (members) give so much of your time and energy, often in tough conditions and at all hours.
“You really deserve a facility that supports you, encourages participation and help you train, prepare and respond (to calls for help) with confidence. This new facility will do exactly that.”
Turning back history pages, Mr Caddies said: “It’s worth reflecting on where we started. More than 40 years ago, we started in the kitchen-lounge room of the building we’re about to demolish, to build this new unit. There’s something pretty special about that. And I want to sincerely thank Kerry (De Gabrielle) and the original founding members of Kilmore (including Pat and John) who laid the foundations of everything Kilmore SES is today and what it will be when the building is complete”.
Mr Caddies thanked Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes, who, he said, along with the previous unit controller, worked hard “to make this vision for the new facility a reality”.
“(The project) is a source of pride because I’m a local and I rely on you guys if anything happens in my community, so it’s particularly special to be able to be involved in this project. It has been a bit of time coming, but the fact that we’ve got this under way, you guys would be at a new home about mid-next year, having a cornerstone landmark in the middle of Kilmore to service the broader community,” Ms Symes said.
She said the new facility would be able to attract the next generation of volunteers, with more or more people joining a tremendous organisation.
