Inspector Gerry Burnage had his last day at the Ballina SES on Saturday after 40 years of service to the region, 36 of which he served as the Unit Commander.

Insp Burnage said he started at the SES in 1983 to help the Commander at the time out, but he has been there ever since.

In regards to his time, he says the biggest events were the Lennox Tornado in 2010, and the 2022 floods, during which he served Coraki, Woodburn and Broadwater.

“In the Lennox Tornado, 153 houses were damaged, but luckily, nobody was seriously hurt, which was very lucky and due to the time of day. If it had been another hour or two later, there would have been people on the streets making a different story.”

He was also involved in many SES lead developments, “I was involved in the design of all the SES vehicles. Many years, I worked on the general land Rescue Committee, looking at all the equipment, developing new things. 

“Tsunami planning and developing plans and education for the public.”

I asked what happens in the event of a Tsunami. Without missing a beat Insp Burnage said, “Run up a hill!”

“In all seriousness, it's a very rare thing. But if it did happen, it could be a major issue. There's quite a few people living in that footprint along the east coast.”

SES Incident Controller, Scott McLennan provided a more comprehensive list of the inspectors incredible list of achievements in an address to his farewell.

“It is with a mix of gratitude and admiration that we announce the retirement of Inspector Gerry Burnage, Unit Commander of the Ballina NSW SES Unit, after an extraordinary 40 years of dedicated service.

“Throughout his remarkable career, Gerry has been a pillar of strength and resilience, consistently demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our community. His expertise in General Land Rescue, Road Crash Rescue, Flood Rescue, and Incident Management Team (IMT) operations has been invaluable to the greater Ballina, The Northern Rivers and NSW.

“Gerry's exemplary service has been recognised with numerous prestigious awards, including:

• The Emergency Services Medal
• The National Medal
• The National Emergency Medal for Tropical Cyclone Debbie
• NSW SES Life Membership
• The Commissioner's Appreciation Certificate
• The Commissioner's Certificate for Consistently High Level of Response
• The Premier's Bush Fire Emergency Citation

“These accolades are a testament to Gerry's exceptional skills, dedication, and the high regard in which he is held by his peers and the community.

“As we bid farewell to Gerry, we extend our deepest appreciation for his tireless service and leadership. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations of volunteers. We wish Gerry all the best in his well-deserved retirement and future endeavours.

“Thank you, Gerry, for your outstanding contribution and unwavering commitment to the NSW SES and the community.”

Insp. Burnage did point out one fond memory that will endure.

“I'm very proud of what I started and achieved in the youth cadet program quite a few years ago.  

“Then I developed another program, an in-house program for the local schools, where we got the school to nominate two students in Years 9 and 10 to participate in the 10-week program. It was very, very successful.”

Many of those who went through the program took on roles in service to the community, “We've had three of them become paramedics, a police officer and quite a few went into the services, here and interstate. They have all done very well for themselves.”

Life after the SES will include “Family time, something I need to do more of. Catch up with family and grandchildren. Do things for me for change. We've got plenty of places we want to go to.”

Insp. Burnage is looking forward to “going to bed for uninterrupted sleep, ‘Because I've been doing road crash rescue for the last 41 years as well. It will be nice not to have to worry about going out in the pouring rain in the middle of the night!

“After 40 years, it will take a lot of adjustment. It'll be strange for a while, I'll have to get used to sleeping without one eye open and one ear open.”

Always vigilant, Insp Burnage leaves people with these final words, “Stay safe. Listen to any advice you get or no storms or floods. Please don't enter floodwater. And clean the gutters out because that's caused a lot of water going into houses!”