Laurie Lavelle Award
Jim Smith
Chief Superintendent Jim Smith, Area Commander, Metropolitan North at the New South Wales Fire Brigades (NSWFB) was selected as the recipient of this year’s award.
The award is being made in recognition of Jim’s pivotal leadership role in the campaign to introduce reduced-ignition propensity (RFR) cigarettes in Australia. In achieving the adoption of an Australian Standard, Jim established a network representing the Australian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities Council, Emergency Management Australia (EMA), NSW State Emergency Management Committee and Standards Australia.
This new Australian Standard is as a result of successful lobbying by the NSWFB representing fire and emergency service authorities nationally and AFAC on the Standards Australia committee which developed the Standard
Chief Superintendent Jim Smith was the driving force within the NSWFB responsible for championing this innovation.
Special Recognition Award
Glenda Ramage
Glenda Ramage, Public Education Officer at the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS) was awarded for her “Smart Sparx Remore Communities Fire Education and Awareness Program. Smart Sparx is the first school based education program to be developed specifically for indigenous communities. Although Smart Sparx has been designed with indigenous communities in mind, it can also be used with children in urban schools.
The program was designed after the NTFRS reviewed evidence which highlighted the high number of burn injuries amongst Aboriginal people, especially children, residing in remote communities. A significant feature of Glenda’s work was that she personally raised sponsorship money to launch the program.
