News

People are being encouraged to raid their wardrobe for something orange and to snap a selfie tomorrow 10 May to show support of the 40,000 State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers across Australia as part of Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day).

SES volunteers have provided much needed help recently to people affected by Cyclone Debbie and severe flooding as well as countless other emergencies that have impacted communities across the country.

Orange is the official colour of the SES uniform and the Australian Council of State Emergency Services (ACSES) is inviting everyone to wear this colour on 10 May to recognise the efforts of its volunteers.

NSW SES Commissioner Mark Smethurst said this year’s WOW Day was timely given the devastating effects Mother Nature has had on communities over the last 12 months.

“It’s important people recognise the tremendous contribution our volunteers have made not just in recent months but throughout the year responding to all kinds of disasters.

“SES volunteers selflessly dedicate their time to respond to storm and flood tasks, road crash rescues, land searches and many other emergencies so WOW Day is a great way for us to say thanks for those efforts,” said Commissioner Smethurst.

“It’s easy to get involved in WOW Day. All you need to do is wear something orange, take a selfie and share it on social media with #thankyouSES.

“If you can’t wear orange tomorrow, you can still get involved by changing your social media profile picture to one of the many WOW Day profile icons available at www.wearorangewednesday.com.au,” he said.

“The time and energy dedicated by SES volunteers is not for accolades or awards. These highly skilled men and women carry out their emergency response and rescue roles fuelled by a desire to help their communities,” he added.

WOW Day on 10 May is a national day of recognition that is held each year during National Volunteer Week to highlight the invaluable contribution SES volunteers provide for their communities.