A MONTH after helping with the clean-up effort in Newcastle, Springside Rural Fire Service (RFS) captain Rodney Oxley has received a generous show of appreciation from one couple he helped.
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Mr Oxley was one of many RFS and State Emergency Services (SES) volunteers who travelled from across the state to help the Hunter and Central Coast crews clean up the mess left behind by the storms that lashed the city on April 21.
From May 1 to May 3, he lent his specialist chainsaw skills to help remove trees damaged and toppled by the wind gusts of up to 135km/h during the storm that had ravaged the city.
One of the trees he removed, with the help of two RFS members from Mudgee, was a 20 metre-high silky oak from the backyard of Helen and Bruce Robertson that had threatened to topple on their neighbour’s roof.
Mrs Robertson said she and her husband were so grateful of the work done by emergency services, they have donated an undisclosed amount to Springside RFS.
“They averted what we thought could turn into a potentially disastrous situation. They deserve to have something for their efforts, especially seeing as they had travelled so far,” Mr Robertson said.
Mrs Robertson said she was looking to make contact with the other crews that helped clean-up trees that had fallen in their street.
Mr Oxley said while it was nice to acknowledged, it was a job he did not expect recognition for.
“It’s who we are, we help out other colleagues and help those in need. It doesn’t matter if it’s the RFS or SES, we’re all in it together,” Mr Oxley said.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re wearing orange or yellow, we all come together to help the community.”
He said the money will be used to help fit out the new yet-to-be built Springside RFS shed, with construction expected to begin in a month.
