DOZENS of local police have been recognised for their service and commitment to go above and beyond the call of duty at a ceremony in Armidale.
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New England Superintendent Fred Trench presented more than 130 medals for long-standing service to the force as well as commendations for courage and exceptional acts by officers, on and off duty, from across the New England command.
“The awards are just a few of the many, many incidents that police have to deal with on a daily basis,” Superintendent Trench told The Leader.
“You’d think after 34 years in the police that I wouldn’t be surprised or amazed, but I continue to be amazed with what we are confronted with and I am very proud at how police deal with them.”
Inverell Inspector Rowan O’Brien was just one of the officers to be recognised for outstanding courage and devotion to duty after rescuing a woman at Tingha when a major bushfire took hold in November, 2009.
Along with another officer, Inspector O’Brien was helping to evacuate residents from the fire front, which was fast approaching, when the situation quickly escalated beyond control.
“And during one of those relocations, myself and another officer and the resident, we were cut off by the fire front,” Inspector O’Brien said.
“One of the things I learnt, in normal policing situations we are dealing with people and you can reason with a person, obviously when you’re dealing with a natural disaster like a major bushfire one thing I certainly learnt from that is that bushfires have no respect for rank.
“It was a situation totally out of control and you know the position that we found ourselves in, well there wasn’t a hell of a lot that we could do but bunker down.”
“Yesterday, several officers from Inverell, Glen Innes, Armidale, Tenterfield and smaller stations across the command were acknowledged for their continuing service, clocking up decades in the job.
“I think it’s a small snapshot of what we do,” Superintendent Trench said. “The awards here are just a few of the many, many incidents that police have to deal with on a daily basis.