On Australia Day Barry Andrew Wademan was awarded the Emergency Services Medal for his unwavering dedication to assisting disaster victims in their time of need.
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He has volunteered for the NSW State Emergency Services for 45 years.
He drew on his experience of working in critical situations like the Newcastle earthquake and Thredbo landslide when he was deployed from his Blacktown unit to head the recovery centres in Narooma and Ulladulla during the 2019/20 bushfires.
The recovery centres were set up so bushfire-affected people could access services - emergency accommodation, clothing, counselling, money for food - from government and non-government agencies.
Each day Mr Wademan shared updates across the agencies stationed there and asked each one what they would be delivering that day, turning them into a team.
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Became traumatised themselves
It was an "operational role" and he had limited training in dealing with traumatised people yet for eight weeks Mr Wademan and his team had the unenviable task of listening to people's stories to understand which services they needed.
"There was never a good story, put it that way," Mr Wademan said.
He could see from his team members' eyes that some were becoming traumatised so sent them to see the "amazing" chaplains.
After their shifts they did letter drops at night around the area to ensure everyone knew that assistance was available.
"We only had one day off in the month as we all preferred to be there opening up the centre," he said.
Those who never think of themselves
An elderly gentleman who came to the Ulladulla recovery centre with his old Border collie made an impression.
"He said 'I think I have lost everything, except my mate here, the dog. I'm just glad my wife wasn't here to see this. She passed away a month ago.'"
The man refused offers of money to buy food, saying "there are others worse off than me".
Some people touch your heart but you remain professional and do what you can for them.
- Barry Wademan, ESM
A week later, Mr Wademan saw the man in town.
The man now had clothes and a cheap little car for running around.
"When I said, so things are looking up, he replied, it is better than the alternative."
Mr Wademan had never seen anything like the Black Summer bushfires.
"It wasn't just one community but multiple, with just about the whole eastern seaboard affected."
Mr Wademan's family understood why he had to miss his father's 80th birthday.
"I would do it again in a heart beat."
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