With all the social unrest today i often think back on an  experience about 3yr ago.

On a fishing trip with three mates to the NT.Arrived at Blackall , QLD, about dusk.
pulled into a truck stop & fueled two 4x4,s. Asked if we could pay to use the showers , all was good [no charge] ,as i walked out of shower was confronted by a dirty ,fat , truck driver& wanted to know what truck i was driving as there was no others parked.

 I explained , he grunted on about using the showers,[ as though he owned them ].

 I returned to car & mate went in , NO key to be had for the door ,this P#### took  key , game over.

Onway back to car again a young copper was fueling car for night shift & the usual
G/day ,hows it going etc?

all good till some one took key etc,,,,,,,,,
he said wait till i come back,
on return , follow me ,i,ll get you,s a shower
into town, public showers, toots etc in main street,
VG, thank you,
 Q  where are you camping?
A. roadside some where just out of town prob,
 he said ,there is a large park just down by the river here in town , you can stay there.
Thanks very much,
Q. have you had tea yet?
A.  no
Hang on , he jumps in car , around the block & pulls up further up the street.
on his return he said hurry up ,the girls in the pub are keeping the kitchen open,
you can get a hot meal there.
Great , thanking you heaps & he was on his way.

What a good guy, Shame we dont have more of them .

Just hope he is still doing the same ....... 

yep you get some good ones, I thought we had them all here but apparently not the trouble is we tend to remember the peanuts more!! I'm S.E.S. as well as unofficial C.F.S. and what I see only instills goodwill towards nearly all coppers

As a journo on the west coast of SA from Ceduna down to Lincoln I had to work closely with the Police and emergency services. I was delegated as a foundation member of the Australian Institute of Emergency Service for my efforts with the services. I sat through hundeds of hours of court hearings etc. I wouldn't be a cop for quids. Their human emotions and endurance are pushed to the limit at times. I'm still mates with some of the Lincoln guys. They all deserve medals. BUT, I get really cranky when I hear about the crooked, vindictive, bitter and twisted blokes who have trained and wear the uniform, but they forget to study up for community service and spirit. I don't know how some of them pass the psych test, but the act must be good. Then they take their spite out on the community, or they turn crooked to stick it up the system they work for and get paid huge black market bucks.

talking of medals...one day I'll get mine.......SACFS that is.....Grumble grumble.......LOL Dave

Do you have the chest to pin it on Smokeydk?? It would need to be big!! Well done on the young Cop.! That sort of help is getting harder to find these days. It's still there but it seems to be harder to find. I guess that is because they deal with so many scumbags that they lose patience. .......I know I would, hence I'm not a cop!!

Well Smokey, has your local group lost their records? Your services should be recorded and the commendations should be a natural progression after terms of service. You'll have to get them to check the books. Apart from that you'll have to wait to be nominated for any service awards. It's not cool to put your own tickets on yourself. Can you recall why you joined the emergency services in the first place? Was it to volunteer to serve, or was it for the "medals"? I'm sure the community appreciates the service you have given. No one can put a price on vollies. Now a community minded policeman is a rare commodity. When we were prawning around Gove, the port was a long way from town. We'd hitch a ride into town with one of the mine vehicles, but getting home was a bit harder. No taxis there. The local copper used to load us all into the paddy wagon and "escort" us back to the boats. Nice NT copper in 1976.

Dave, like you and many others, I volunteered and still do because we want to help folks in the worst possible times, if we dont then no-one will, I understand your jovial frustration and if it's any consolation you can have mine and the accompanying accolades, means nothing to me except some pretty horrific memorys and scars we know why we serve (even though technically I'm "retired" from it) and like coppers, ambo's and the military it is mostly a thankless job, I still wake up in the middle of the night in a jolt and a cold sweat, (one of the reasons why I work all the time) seeing the faces of people and buildings that I couldnt save, I, like every other "volunteer" feel responsible for every person or building or animal that we are sent to "protect", when we lose our "charges" then we feel we have let them down, no-one can know the outcome of any fire or war or attendance, even bloody ambos arent safe, the world is a crazy place nowadays I realise it's a stupid ideal but I know you who volunteer or serve understand, only those that have been there with their life on the line can possibly understand, outsiders havent got the "on ground" experience to even begin to imagine the horrors that dwell within I bring a truck load of water to the front and they kick me out, I sneak back in they find me and kick me out, I'll be there somewhere in the background even if it's making bloody sandwiches and lugging the drinks around, or making a cuppa, fundraising, circulating blankets whatever is needed I'll be there somewhere I will support our boys and girls any way I can, mentally or physically, fireys, coppers, ambo's, servicemen/servicewoman returned or still in conflict, I know what it's like and can only thank all you folk for the willingness to go out "just once more" for little or no pay and in second rate machinery, I bet you still have the old "fuso" appliance with no self water soakage protection capability and not the youbeaut isuzu's found around metropilis I know you dont worry about the medals, they are just a bit of bronze and colored ribbon, mine represent a few good freinds whom I cant talk to any more and a lot of bad memorys my best "medal" came from a single mum who's house me and a couple of fellers were able to save up in the hills, on her own, three kids all her wordly possesions were in her house, just a little clapboard villa but it was all she had we saved a little dog on another occasion, it turned out to be the only possesion that was left for the family they are the good ones, the others we just try to live with! anyway from me and ten thousand others "THANKS" we understand

From what I have heard DaveO.........your sandwiches are pretty crap anyway!!



Granny.........I am sure that was a bit of "tongue in cheek" stuff from Smokeydk.
I for one, didn't take the remark seriously.

-- Edited by Disco Duck on Thursday 3rd of December 2009 10:50:50 AM

yep they sure as all hell are, wouldnt eat them myself, but I just do what I gotta do to keep the boys and girls fit and happy, anything in an empty belly is better than nothing two types of folks in this world mister duck, those that will source ingredients for two days prior to a fundraising sausage sizzle, get all donations and when it's a bit short will reach in their own pocket to cover the shortfall then get up at 6am to set up and spend 8 hours plus cooking the things then pack it all away afterwards then theres the other type who come along and grizzle that the snags are burnt me well I'm the head banger burner! everytime, ya want onions with that! how bout some sauce!! $3,000 for our "special kids" last round, another one due around the middle of dec., got some raffle tickets home that I got to go and hock off for our local S.E.S. I'm in the thick of most fundraisers!

Disco Duck wrote:

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From what I have heard DaveO.........your sandwiches are pretty crap anyway!!



Granny.........I am sure that was a bit of "tongue in cheek" stuff from Smokeydk.
I for one, didn't take the remark seriously.

-- Edited by Disco Duck on Thursday 3rd of December 2009 10:50:50 AM

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Yea Ducky, I got that. It was just an observer's opportunity to present the reality of it all. I think DaveO did it. I've worked with CFS, SES and Sea Rescue, but only as a radio operator in the safety of the base. My sea rescues were towing small fishing boats in around the waters of Broome when they broke down. In Lincoln I did a lot of work from the "outside" publicising special events and activities, as well as the emergencies they all attended, sometimes from the Sea Rescue Vessel. I am fully aware of all aspects of volly emergency services.

Granny.my comments were tongue in cheek.....Thanks.....I have several medals.and an enough certificates to line a room...
The CFS is handing out.Medals for service....once the ones that have done 50 years.40..and 30.....recieved theirs...the rest will get theirs....
Volunteer or not....its nice to be reconised.some times.

As Davo said........no medals surpass the ones from the heart.....those THANKYOU!!...are treasured so much.....


Dave