- Dedication of WA's emergency services reflected in Australia Day Honours List
- Australian Fire Service Medals and Emergency Services Medals awarded to career and volunteer personnel
Seven Western Australian emergency services volunteers and staff have been recognised in the 2025 Australia Day Honours List announced by Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC.
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said three Australian Fire Service Medals (AFSM) and four Emergency Services Medals (ESM) were awarded, which was an acknowledgement of the recipients' tireless dedication to keeping Western Australian communities safe.
The AFSM and ESM recognise distinguished service by emergency services staff and volunteers who have shown exceptional commitment to their role.
The 2025 Honours List includes career and volunteer personnel who have devoted much of their adult lives to emergency services, for as many as 57 years. They have served in a variety of roles including career and volunteer firefighting, search and rescue (including canine deployment and training), surf lifesaving and major incident response.
Each recipient has shown unwavering dedication to public safety, both on the frontline and behind the scenes in areas including leadership, training, rescue and bushfire management.
Full citations for each recipient can be found on the Governor-General's website.
Australian Fire Service Medal recipients:
Mr Michael JohnstonAFSM
Michael has served the community as a frontline firefighter for more than 30 years, attending some of WA's most severe bushfires, including the devastating 2016 Yarloop fire as well as major fires in other states. At Yarloop, he led a crew of brave firefighters who were able to save a wooden bridge, allowing crews access to houses under immediate threat. Michael's service continues as captain of the Kwinana Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS).
Mr Gyula Bogar AFSM
Gyula joined Boyup Brook VFRS as a 15-year-old in 1967 and has lived and breathed emergency services ever since. Among many examples of his drive for improved community safety, in the 1980s he was instrumental in the brigade securing appliances and equipment to expand into road crash rescue and hazardous materials handling capability. Today, Gyula is still active in firefighting, attending road crash incidents and mentoring younger volunteers.
Mr Murray Mitchell AFSM
Over a career of almost 30 years in forestry and land management, Murray has made an enduring contribution to community safety through bushfire response and strategic work to protect life, property and biodiversity. He currently serves as Manager of Regional Fire Services with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, working across the State overseeing strategic mitigation works and playing a key role in bushfire incident responses. Incident Controllers consistently attest to his professional and strategic approach.
Emergency Services Medal recipients:
Ms Leonie Briggs ESM
Leonie is an accomplished dog trainer who has single-handedly schooled more than 30 dogs since joining WA's State Emergency Service (SES) Canine Unit soon after its inception in 2007. As a first responder, she has shown unwavering mental and physical grit, turning out at all hours with her own dogs to search for missing people in challenging terrain, mainly bush or forest, in all weather. As a devoted member of the Australian Council of Search and Rescue Dog Organisations, she has worked diligently over nearly a decade to develop the first national standards for search and rescue dogs.
Mr Ronald Davey ESM
Since starting in 1987, Ronald has built a reputation as a highly respected SES volunteer who has attended many complex and prolonged incidents. Known to consistently put the needs of the community ahead of his own, Ronald stands out for his impressive deployment record and long list of credentials. He quickly climbed the volunteer ranks and in 2016 joined the Statewide Operational Response Division (SWORD), assisting right across WA during large-scale emergencies. It is testament to Ronald's leadership that the unit's membership lifted nearly tenfold during his five years at the helm.
Mr Grant Pipe ESM
Grant's 35-year career in emergency services started as a volunteer with Rockingham SES in 1990, where he fulfilled a string of leadership positions before joining the Department of Fire and Emergency Services in 2007. Promoted to Regional Superintendent in the Kimberley in 2012, Grant set about improving community engagement and co-operations. The result was the Kimberley Fire Working Group, which brings together landowners, Aboriginal corporations and key agencies to collaborate on mitigation and share knowledge, including traditional burning techniques.
Mr Mark Regel ESM
From a 10-year-old 'Nipper' at Leighton Beach to one of the most qualified surf lifesaving volunteers in the country, Mark has had a big impact on beach safety over more than 50 years. As Captain of Fremantle Surf Lifesaving Club in the 2000s, Mark led several key safety improvements, including faster response times, lights and sirens for some vehicles and a new system for beach patrolling which remains in use today. He was instrumental in establishing Surf Life Saving WA's Emergency Response Group, which assists in coastal searches for small vessels and missing people.
As stated by Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson:
"WA's emergency services on land and sea are community-focused, reliable and incredibly resilient and while they don't seek reward or recognition, it's fantastic to see them recognised nationally for their decades of loyal service.
"On behalf of the Cook Government, I congratulate these seven outstanding Western Australians on their achievements and dedication to community safety.
"Each of these medal recipients has displayed dedication and selflessness in the most challenging of circumstances and are very worthy of these prestigious honours."
