SES volunteer Nikki Ristoski with Darren Malone and Australasian Institute of Emergency Services President David Parsons, after Darren was awarded a commendation for his commitment to the community. Photo: Supplied.
If you rely on the Illawarra Warnings, Incidents & Local Media Info Facebook page, you’re in good company.
More than 70,000 people follow the site, which provides timely, accurate information about local emergencies direct from the emergency services who handle them, at all hours of the day and night.
It’s run by just one man, Darren Malone, and this week he was recognised for his tireless efforts by the SES and the Australasian Institute of Emergency Services (AIES).
Darren received the AIES Commendation award in recognition of his commitment to acting as a trusted, reliable source for the community.
He was nominated by Nikki Ristoski, a volunteer at Shellharbour City SES.
Nikki said her training in public information made her realise how special Darren’s work was.
“There are so many things out there that create fear and panic in an emergency, and often they’re untrue,” she said.
“We put messages out but it can be difficult to cut through the noise.
“Darren runs this page by himself and always makes sure to reach out to the source and check his information is correct.
“People will often report information to his page too, and he will pass it back to us so we can take action if it’s necessary.
“We’re here for the community and we wanted to celebrate a community member who is taking the time to be there for us.”
Only a handful of people across the country receive an AIES Commendation each year.
President of the AIES David Parsons said the rise in disinformation made people like Darren particularly deserving of recognition.
Trust and reliable information at the right time can save lives, and even more.
“Disinformation from foreign governments to mischievous people in the community is one of our biggest challenges,” he said.
“We are beginning to see AI images of emergencies online, showing things like road closures that don’t exist, or fires and flood in places they haven’t affected.
“Disinformation spreads very quickly and is hard to correct. It can lead to people making poor choices, and it’s a way for foreign enemies to undermine public trust in leadership.
“It’s a real problem, so it’s really important there are influencers who are trusted by the community, act responsibly and provide reliable information.”
In the case of an emergency, Nikki urged the Illawarra community to get their information from a trusted, reliable source, and ideally direct from the managing emergency services.
She said the Illawarra was particularly prone to flash flooding, where timing was everything.
“It’s already scary during an emergency, so it’s important you know what is happening and do what you can to stay safe,” she said.
“We appreciate people who will push out those messages, because emergencies happen fast.”
