SALVATION ARMY EMERGENCY SERVICES

(SAES)

South Australian Division

SAES ORIGINS
 

My initial involvement with the Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) is very vivid in my memory. It started as the result of a telephone call from the Salvation Army’s Divisional Headquarters (DHQ) in Adelaide during the late afternoon of Ash Wednesday the 16^th of February 1983.

On that day, around 180 bush fires broke out almost simultaneously in Victoria and South Australia. In Victoria more than 2000 houses were destroyed and in South Australia several hundred were destroyed. 75 people lost their lives.

'John,’ the caller asked, ‘I think we may be able to use you here in DHQ to help organise our catering response’. It was a voice I knew well and the caller conveyed to me something of the urgency of his request. Of course I knew what was happening around the State via the almost constant news and television reports as well as the huge pall of smoke over the Adelaide Hills. I did not realise at the time that this one telephone call would have a major impact on my involvement in ensuing years with the SAES.

While that date in February was just the start of my involvement with the SAES, there have been many changes since then.  The service has gone from very basic catering trailers which were only intended to provide hot and cold drinks, biscuits and perhaps a sandwich or two - to a fast response trailer capable of providing some 400 meals at very short notice. More recently, a large catering truck, which is state of the art mobile emergency catering, has been purchased.

It is fair to say that the modern day service provided by the SAES can be traced back to the famous Army ‘cuppa’ provided to our troops during world wars and subsequent conflicts. At a recent call out I was reminded by a Senior Officer in one of the States respected emergency service organisations of his gratefulness to the Salvo’s for the cup of tea and biscuit while fighting in Vietnam. The Salvo’s he said, were ‘just there when needed’.

I like to think that is the same reason and motivation we are still ‘just there’.

It has mostly been an enjoyable experience, and has allowed me to provide, with the assistance of a wonderful and dedicated team of volunteers, catering to thousands of people, during a variety of emergencies throughout the State.
 

John E. Dunkley OAM

State Director

Salvation Army Emergency Services