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NEWS
Cairns Local News
REEF LEADER TRAINING
Would you like to become a Reef Leader and learn to take meaningful action to protect the Great Barrier Reef? The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is hosting free, fun and interactive “Reef Leader Training” at the Cairns City Library Meeting Room on Saturday February 20 from 9am-1pm. Meet like-minded locals and learn how to effectively fight for our reef. Light refreshments and Reef Leader resource kit provided. Places strictly limitedget your free ticket from Eventbrite or visit the “AMCS Cairns” Facebook page for event link and more information.
Friday February 12, 2021
Fire and rescue heroes recognised TANYA MURPHY EIGHT Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) staff and volunteers were honoured in this year’s QFES Australia Day Achievement Awards presented in Cairns on January 29. Awards were presented to QFES staff and volunteers in recognition of outstanding character, integrity and leadership. The recipients were: Bradley Fleming from Atherton Fire and Rescue, for designing, planning and implementing a Heavy Rescue Trailer, enhancing QFES capability within Far Northern Region Andrew
Petrack
from
Mossman Fire and Rescue, for providing quality mentoring to fellow officers and firefighters at Mossman Station and across Northern Command. Jason Ryan from Atherton Fire and Rescue, for dedication in undertaking the All Terrain Vehicle Project within Far Northern Region.
Fire and Emergency Services award recipients Peter Rinaudo, Clint L’Estrange, Matthew Currey, Suzanne Cray, Andrew Petrack, Jason Ryan and Bradley Fleming. Absent from from photo: Scott Templeton.
Scott Templeton Coen State Emergency Services (SES), for outstanding coordination and humanitarian support to displaced persons from the Aurukun community whilst they were temporarily housed in Coen.
agement of logistics and planning requirements to ensure that all Far Northern Region SES groups had the health and safety resources required during Covid-19.
Peter Rinaudo from SES Far Northern Regional Operations, for exemplary man-
Suzanne Cray from SES Cairns, for outstanding support to the SES through cre-
ation of high-quality heights and vertical rescue training videos for SES volunteers. Matthew Currey from SES Cairns, for outstanding support and coordination of Cairns SES Members to ensure they were continually engaged in training and op-
erations. Clint L’Estrange from Cairns Fire and Rescue, for designing, planning and implementing the Crocodile Awareness Program, enhancing the safety of QFES personnel within the Far Northern Region.
Years have flown by for nurse TANYA MURPHY
2021
CAIRNS local Susan Markwell says working as a flight nurse for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. She is celebrating 30 years of service since she officially became an RFDS employee on February 4, 1991. Prior to that she had already spent four years working with the RFDS as an employee of Queensland Health’s Division of Child Health. Ms Markwell said her passion for rural and remote nursing began in Charleville. “The country lifestyle, people and the diversity were fascinating,” she said. “As the only nurse working in isolation, the work was
1991
24/7 on-call, using initiative to organise the clinics and arrange patient evacuations. It has remained a worthwhile and long-lasting challenge.” “In 1990 I moved to Cairns RFDS in a child health and evacuation role, servicing areas such as Far North Queensland and Cape York Peninsula, including four large Indigenous communities. My passion only grew from there.” Ms Markwell said she still loved her job as every day was different. “Currently, as a flight nurse, I do emergency evacuations as part of the Cairns RFDS team. The roster is based on 12-hour shifts, either day or nights,” she said. “You know when your shift starts, however, you never really know when you will finish or where you will be going.” She said the RFDS in Queensland had developed and expanded a lot over the past 30 years to include services to seven medical bases, a dental unit and mental health programs.
“The RFDS is vitally important to the communities we serve,” she said. “The Cairns region is responsible for establishing several play groups and educational Field Day events for remote communities, and has achieved some of the highest rates of immunisations in Australia. “It has been exciting work to make these and other projects viable, valid and instrumental in improving the services which the RFDS provides.” Ms Markwell said she highly recommended the job to other aspiring flight nurses. “This is one of the best nursing jobs if you want to work hard in a challenging and exciting environment of constant change. Attaining the necessary qualifications can be daunting – but definitely rewarding,” she said. The RFDS in Queensland has several nursing vacancies at present, including in Cairns. For career information visit: www.flyingdoctor. org.au/careers/region/qld/
Cairns Businesswomen's Club
2021 AGM and Business & Bubbles Friday February 19, 2021 The Bungalow Hotel
Annual General Meeting
Business & Bubbles
Please note: Doors will be closed at this time
Members $39 | Non-Members $49
Members Only AGM will commence at 4:30pm www.cbwc.org.au
All Welcome! 5:30pm - 7:30pm
