Medals for brave cops

By Danielle Galvin
A POLICE officer who drove through thick smoke past burning houses to rescue an elderly disabled woman from her Steel’s Creek home has been awarded a silver medal for his bravery.
Sergeant Lee Nichols from Mooroolbark police station and Senior Constable Matthew Henry came to the aid of Carolyn Kellmar on Black Saturday.
On Friday, they were honoured at the Melbourne Town Hall for The Royal Humane Society of Australasia’s bravery awards.
Ms Kelmar was trapped by fire on her Steels Creek Road property.
The police officers continued down the road despite a CFA crew warning them to turn back.
They found Ms Kelmar in her car drenched in sweat, dehydrated and suffering from shock.
She was wearing a neck brace from a previous injury.
Ms Kelmar lost sight in one eye, hay sheds and a season’s worth of hay, cattle and her front fences on Black Saturday.
Victorian Governor Alex Chernov presented the awards and said it was an extra special ceremony to honour the brave men and women who risked their lives in February three years ago.
“The awards honour the selfless acts of bravery by those who have risked their lives for others,” he said.
Leading Senior Constable Peter Hamilton and Sergeant Paul Bell from Warburton police station were presented with bronze medals for going to the rescue of two people trapped in a house in the path of the fires.
They heard a report that a 60-year-old male and 45-year-old woman were trapped in a house at Chum Creek.
The officers decided to attempt to rescue the residents despite the overwhelming risk to their own lives.
Leading Senior Constable Brett Tanian was awarded a silver medal for his efforts in the Buxton area on 7 February 2009.
He and other police officers door-knocked to warn residents of the path of the fire.
Marysville SES deputy controller Josephine Hunter and SES volunteer Jennifer Barton were awarded a silver medal for their work on Black Saturday. SES volunteer David Barton was also awarded a bronze medal.
The trio rescued a badly burnt woman in Marysville and rescued another woman trapped in her car.
Ms Hunter and Mr Barton organised a convoy of people from Marysville to head towards Alexandra.
Andrew Collard, Brian Earl, Brian Lawry and Jarrod Logue, Jarrod Smith, Graham Watt and Timothy Winter from the Department of Sustainability were given bronze medals.
Ray Mackey from Vic Forests was also given a bronze medal.
The Toolangi crew went to the rescue of 19 campers in the Murrindindi Scenic Reserve in the Toolangi State Forest in Black Saturday.
Greg Williamson and Ben Giovanetti from DSE were awarded silver medals for their work in Marysville on Black Saturday.
The pair went to the aid of two women trapped at the DSE office in Marysville who were under ember attack.