LOCAL firefighter Gavin Parker was one of five CFA volunteers honoured with an Australian Fire Services Medal this Australia Day.
Mr Parker led a crew to fight the Churchill fire, operating under extreme conditions to successfully defend a critical communications tower, during Black Saturday.
In the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires, he played a key role in managing complex peat fires, applying his deep tactical expertise to coordinate safe and effective multi-agency responses.
He began his service with CFA as a volunteer at Neerim South Fire Brigade in 1976. Mr Parker became a career firefighter with CFA in 1995, and following the transition of career firefighters to Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) in 2020, he has continued to serve CFA in Gippsland on secondment from FRV.
Over the course of almost five decades, Mr Parker has served in a wide range of frontline and leadership roles across Victoria, particularly in the Latrobe Valley and throughout CFA’s South East Region.
He has held positions including senior station officer and currently serves as a commander, leading emergency operations in one of the state’s most complex and high-risk regions.
“I’m still a member of Neerim South brigade and proud to be a life member,” Mr Parker said.
“I’m still passionate about the brigade and attend as much as I can – though not as much as I’d like to.”
Mr Parker joined the brigade at a young age because his father was the captain.
“I really enjoy my time with my local brigade,” he added.
“CFA is a good family organisation, with generations of families involved. A brigade is a great place for people to come together.
“What is especially important about brigades is that they mirror the community they serve, comprising a range of people with different views and experiences.”
Mr Parker is a highly experienced and credentialed emergency services professional, holding formal qualifications across a broad spectrum of incident management roles.
Primary qualifications include; Operations Officer Level 3, certified as a Rostered Duty Officer, Regional Agency Commander, Planning Officer Levels 2 and 3, Division Commander, Sector Commander, Incident Controller Level 2, Logistics Officer Level 3 and Strike Team Leader.
These qualifications reflect his extensive operational expertise and his capacity to lead and support complex emergency incidents across multiple levels of command and coordination.
“I’m really grateful to have been given so many opportunities. This is a real strength of CFA. Whether you are operational or in a support role, CFA gives members opportunities to develop,” Mr Parker said.
“I’ve embraced those opportunities and taken on some interesting tasks that have pushed me out of my comfort zone.
“It’s worth being flexible in CFA, and this has allowed me to take on a range of roles in incident response.”
Mr Parker has demonstrated exceptional skill and resilience in numerous emergency incidents.
He has even been involved in deployment to fight fires over in California in 2017.
Beyond his operational leadership, he will leave a legacy of innovation.
Instrumental in introducing thermal imaging cameras (TICs) to CFA, Mr Parker is recognised as the organisation’s subject matter expert.
He also developed and delivered structured TIC training drills that significantly enhanced firefighter safety and operational capability.
Mr Parker’s training methodology was internationally recognised and published in both Australian and international fire magazines.
