SES Portland Unit

15/10/2026

Two Years Ago…

On this day Portland & surrounding units answered the call to assist the town of Casterton after a significant weather cell past through the area.

Relive the moment from the photos attached below:

15/10/2026

Special shout out to Andrew Chapple and Tiarna Sulman of Heywood Laundry Service for their prompt and professional service in cleaning of our fellow Heywood Units uniforms last night. Not to mention checking in on one of our members and gifting us with chocolates. It’s small business like this that make a huge difference and contribution. So let’s get behind and support those who support us.

Thank you again Heywood Laundry Service.

12/10/2026

It’s been a busy week for our volunteers, with crews responding to two motor vehicle accidents and an ambulance assist this afternoon.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers for their time, dedication and commitment to supporting our community. Highlighting their willingness to always being ready to respond.

06/10/2026

Congratulations to Portland member, Rhys!

Rhys completed her Safe Working at Heights training in Penshurst over the weekend, tackling the course in some less than pleasant weather conditions!

A special thanks to Ray for going along and lending a hand.

Great work, Rhys!

04/10/2026

On Thursday night, the Portland Unit held its Annual General Meeting.

This year, we had three Deputy Controller positions up for renewal, with the following Unit Management team confirmed for the year ahead:

Jayden Smith — DC:Assets & Facilities
Brad Hein — re-elected- DC: Operations
Elijah Roberts — re-elected- DC: Community Engagement

Continuing in their current terms:
Melissa Polaski — Unit Controller
Rohan Arden — DC: Training
Kim Ackley- DC: Administration

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Josh Reynolds for his time as Deputy Controller of Assets & Facilities and for his continued efforts and commitment to improving our unit.

Most importantly, we thank all of our incredible volunteers and unit officers for the tireless effort, dedication and time they continue to give to our community.

We look forward to another year of working together and continuing to serve the Portland community.

Top (L–R): Melissa Polaski & Brad Hein
Bottom (L-R) Rohan Arden, Jayden Smith & Elijah Roberts

05/08/2026

Last weekend our very own Rhys attend Stawell SES for the first of her two weekend RCR (Road Crash Rescue) course. Was good to watch these member learn new skills and for myself to learn the new methods.

06/07/2026

Community Announcement: Upcoming National Mobile Alert Test.

Heads up, Portland

A nationwide test of Australia's new emergency alert system, AusAlert, is scheduled for the end of the month.

On Monday, 27 July 2026, a test alert will be sent to mobile devices across the country, including most phones, tablets, and some smart watches.
This is to ensure the system is working correctly before it officially launches in October.

What to expect during the test:
🔊 Your device will play a siren-like warning sound.
📳 It will also vibrate for about 10 seconds.
📱 A message will appear on your screen, which will clearly state that it is a TEST.

The appearance of the alert may vary slightly depending on your device's model and operating system.

There is no need to be alarmed. This is a planned test of the system designed to keep us all informed during future emergencies.

20/06/2026

At the Controllers conference this weekend our very own Ray Polaski was awarded the Peter Rabone award for Excellence in Peer Support. For his unwavering peer support, professionalism and compassion especially in times of critical need.

Well done Ray keep up the good work and thank you for all your support.

24/05/2026

Saturday 23rd May 2026, 2 members of the Portland and Heywood SES Units attended an awards ceremony at Warrnambool. They were supported by Portland SES Life Membership Charlie Debono ESM and Ray Polaski ESM. A number of other recipients from other units were also represented.

23/05/2026