Eight RFS members honoured on King’s Birthday

The RFS recipients of the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in 2024 are:

• Group Captain (retired) Lorraine Bruce – Mid Coast District
• Group Captain Peter Johnstone – Canobolas District
• Group Captain (retired) Clifford Last – Coffs Coast District
• Senior Deputy Captain Walter Murray – Clarence Valley District
• Captain Charles Schusser – Shoalhaven District
• Group Captain Richard Scilley – Namoi/Gwydir District
• Captain Fiona Stalgis – Blue Mountains District
• Firefighter Suzanne Talbert – The Hills District

Group Captain (retired) Lorraine Bruce – Mid Coast District

Group Captain (retired) Lorraine Bruce has served the Mid Coast District, formerly known as the Great Lakes District, for more than 40 years. For 20 of those years, she was a group officer. First elected in 2003, she was the first female group officer in the Great Lakes District.

Lorraine has served in multiple senior leadership roles in the area with distinction over that time. This included instructing and mentoring many dozens of brigades and group officers, as well as serving relentlessly, and with exemplary dedication, in the field herself.

She continues to respond to many emergency incidents across the District, supporting and leading the volunteer members in attendance. Lorraine has led numerous strike teams interstate, including into Victoria and the ACT, and to fires across NSW. She has maintained a leadership role in community engagement and public education through her service in the former Great Lakes Firewise Team and the former Great Lakes Community Education Brigade.

Lorraine continues to play a key role in the learning and development of volunteers in the Mid Coast District. She serves unceasingly as an instructor, assessor and mentor, and she has been a mentor and role model to many current volunteer leaders by enabling the advancement of female volunteers in the RFS.

Group Captain Peter Wiley Johnstone – Canobolas District

Group Captain Peter Wiley Johnstone has been an RFS member for more than 50 years, spending much of that time as a Group Captain in the Canobolas District. He has played a key role in many major fire incidents in the area over his time in the RFS.

In 1990, Peter became the incident controller of a major bush and grass fire in the Cowra Shire. Under his management, it was controlled within two days and contained to just over 6,000 hectares.

Peter responded to the Shiel fire of 2013 as the incident controller. This running grass and scrub fire was extinguished without loss of structures, stock or life on the same afternoon, and was contained to approximately 434 hectares.

During the 2019/20 fire season, Peter called on members of the Walli community to protect the neighbouring districts of Chifley Lithgow and Cudgegong from the Gospers Mountain fire. Brigade members fed stock on drought-ravaged properties and Peter arranged and participated in out-of-area 24-hour strike teams to protect these and other nearby communities.

Peter remains as Group Captain of the Canobolas District and continues to respond to many emergency incidents across the District, supporting and leading the volunteer members in attendance. He is a mentor to many and focuses his energy and stewardship on supporting the next generation of RFS volunteer leadership. He also provides District management with sound rural advice, as required.

Group Captain (retired) Clifford John Last – Coffs Coast District

Group Captain (retired) Clifford ‘Cliff’ Last joined the RFS in 1980 as a member of the Repton Brigade in the Bellingen Shire, where he maintained active service with the brigade until transferring to North Bellingen Brigade. In the North Bellingen Brigade, he held the positions of firefighter, permit officer and Captain. In 2005, Cliff was appointed to the position of Group Captain, which he held until April 2023.

Cliff is a member of the Coffs Coast District Training Team and has been highly active in training and assessing members across the team in many disciplines. He is a mentor to members learning their trade and his leadership is highly valued and respected. Cliff is also a member of the Coffs Coast Senior Leadership Team and actively contributes to future business planning for the team.

Cliff has been deployed many times with out-of-area strike teams in leadership roles and has continuously demonstrated excellent management skills in very difficult situations. His ability to remain calm under pressure was particularly valuable during the 2019/20 bush fire season, as he was deployed to numerous fires and oversaw strike teams in what was at times almost overwhelming conditions.

Mr Last has provided over 40 years of service to the RFS and is a highly valued member and leader within the Coffs Coast District.

Senior Deputy Captain Walter Joseph Murray – Clarence Valley District

Senior Deputy Captain Walter ‘Wal’ Murray joined the Mt Ramornie Brigade in 1986. He has served as a Senior Deputy Captain since 2014 and previously held the positions of Deputy Captain and brigade equipment officer, and has been active over many years as a permit officer. Wal continues to be an active member of the Brigade, attending all manner of operational incidents, including out-of-area deployments.

During the 2019/20 fire season, Wal was one of the more prominent volunteers who dedicated a significant amount of time and energy assisting the firefighting effort. He was instrumental in identifying and implementing containment strategies at several major fires, including the Mount Kaloe, Washpool, Liberation Trail and Whiteman Creek fires. His commitment, intimate local knowledge, willingness to help and calm demeanour were great assets to the service when he was leading out-of-area strike teams during some of the worst fire conditions the Clarence Valley area has ever experienced.

Wal is a major part of the Mt Ramornie Brigade, showing unwavering commitment to the Brigade and his community. Wal’s local knowledge and experience is exceptional, and he goes above and beyond to help others. He has provided excellent leadership over many years, displaying outstanding knowledge of the bush and firefighting. He has shown dedication and commitment to his training and is a well-respected mentor.

Wal is known as one of Clarence Valley’s achievers, he is trustworthy and honest, with a remarkable work ethic and stamina.

Captain Charles Otmar Schusser – Shoalhaven District

Captain Charles ‘Charlie’ Schusser first joined the fire services through the Country Fire Authority in Victoria (CFA) in 1981, where he served for nine years with the Numurkah Brigade, responding to the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 and Kosciusko fires in 1985.

Charlie transferred to the Falls Creek Brigade in Shoalhaven in 1990 and served in the operational roles of Deputy Captain, Senior Deputy Captain and Captain, a role he remains in to this day.

Charlie has been active in major bush fire campaigns including Barrengarry 1993/94, Black Christmas 2001/02, Sale 2003, Canberra 2003, Victoria 2006, Coonabarabran 2013, Deans Gap 2013 and Black Summer 2019/20, as well as airbase taskings out of Richmond, Grafton, Tumut, Ulladulla, Albatross, Yawal and Burrier.

As a training officer, Charlie is at the Falls Creek Station almost every Sunday. He is a role model, confidante and advisor for members. Other RFS members on the fireground benefit from his extensive experience and calm approach to unexpected situations.

Over the past four years, Charlie has organised events for Shoalhaven residents with special needs, rallying other brigade members to provide joy for these young people and their families. Over 40 years, Charlie has given outstanding dedication and service to the CFA, RFS and the Shoalhaven community.

Group Captain Richard Scilley – Namoi/Gwydir District

Group Captain Richard Scilley joined the Tibbereena Brigade in the Namoi/Gwydir District in 1975 at age 13 and remains an operational member.

Richard had the support of his fellow brigade members when they elected him Deputy Captain in 1991 and then Captain in 2004. An exceptional and respected leader, he was appointed Deputy Group Captain in 2007 and then Group Captain in 2011.

Richard, like many other senior RFS members, has participated in numerous events over the years. His work ethic is exceptional and his firefighting skill level and knowledge is indisputable. People listen to and follow his directions when he sets a strategy or command because they trust him.

Richard was the first to volunteer for, and the last to leave, the prolonged Pilliga Forest fires. He has also attended numerous serious motor vehicle accidents over the years. He protects his team members as much as possible from the horrific nature of some of the incidents and then monitors their wellbeing after the event. This inner strength and fortitude make him the person sought out when a call for assistance from police is received that requires special abilities.

He has also promoted the RFS as a regular door knocker in his uniform for the Red Shield Appeal and he rarely misses an ANZAC Day march.

Captain Fiona Stalgis – Blue Mountains District

Captain Fiona Stalgis joined Winmalee Brigade in 1991 and has held numerous field and administration positions over her 33 years of service, including Deputy Captain, Senior Deputy Captain and Captain. Additionally, Fiona was previously a member of the Blue Mountains Group Support Brigade (formerly the Blue Mountains Communications Brigade).

During the Black Summer bush fires of 2019/20, Fiona was appointed Deputy Group Captain, a position she maintained until 2021. During this time, she was involved both operationally and non-operationally with multiple brigades, particularly the west group of brigades within the District, providing leadership, guidance and support.

Fiona holds a wide range of qualifications, passing on this knowledge and skills to others. She trains new and existing members and provides ongoing mentoring. She has supported and promoted continual training, including Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus training and structural training within the Brigade, with Winmalee Brigade being the first Village 2 brigade in the Blue Mountains.

Fiona continues to be involved with community engagement, including the education and training of community members to better prepare themselves for living with bush fires. She constantly demonstrates the values of the RFS through her dedication, professionalism, leadership and selfless commitment to her Brigade and community.

Firefighter Suzanne Beryl Talbert – The Hills District

Suzanne ‘Sue’ Talbert began her journey as a firefighter in the Kenthurst Brigade in 1979 and continues to this day. From the very start, Sue demonstrated a passion for service and an unwavering commitment. She later became a dual member with The Hills District Communication Brigade, where she served as a Deputy Captain from 2008 to 2024.

Sue’s outstanding dedication extends beyond firefighting. In 1994, she was a founding member of the RFS Critical Incident Support Services (CISS) team. The CISS provides crucial emotional support to fellow volunteers and staff across the state. Sue works unconventional hours, traveling throughout NSW often onto firegrounds to prioritise the wellbeing of the RFS family. Over the last 30 years as a member of CISS, Sue has arguably made her greatest impact on the RFS by supporting and protecting its members.

Sue has been deployed to large scale out-of-area incidents, undertaking essential work as a communications operator, aviation radio operator and scribe for group officers in locations including Tarcutta, the Blue Mountains and Narrabri. She believes passionately in the importance of an engaged community and tirelessly coordinates the Kenthurst Brigade’s annual ‘Get Ready Weekend’ activities and ‘Firewise for Kids’ programs.

Sue’s exceptional leadership, selfless dedication and tireless service over 45 years have enriched the lives of countless individuals and strengthened the RFS family. From firefighting to communications, community engagement and critical incident support, Sue has consistently gone above and beyond, making a profound impact on the RFS and community members across the entire state of NSW.