23-year-old Farmborough Heights man Josh Hurst receives the 2024 NSW State Emergency Service Young Volunteer of the Year award at NSW Parliament House. Photo: NSW SES.
When other kids were honing their gaming skills, Josh Hurst was putting his hand up to help others.
When he was 16 years old Josh, spurred on by his older brother, signed up as a volunteer with the NSW State Emergency Service.
Now the Farmborough Heights man fits up to 40 hours of volunteering each week around his full-time job as an electrician at BlueScope.
The 23-year-old has been recognised for his efforts and named the 2024 NSW State Emergency Service Young Volunteer of the Year at State Parliament.
NSW Premier Chris Minns presented Josh with his award, recognising his outstanding service and selfless community contribution.
“This is definitely one of the more memorable moments in my life,” Josh said.
“It was a pleasure to receive the award at parliament in Sydney. I was invited to sit in on Question Time and I was honoured to get a shout-out in one of the questions.
“It felt very surreal.”
The NSW SES Young Volunteer of the Year award is presented annually to a member aged 16–25 who has demonstrated exceptional engagement with training and operational activities.
Josh was set to receive his award at NSW State Emergency Service (SES) headquarters in Wollongong on 21 May, but in the early hours of the morning he was called to Taree to respond to the Mid-North Coast floods.
In Taree, Josh spent two days assisting with flood evacuations and performing reconnaissance missions by deploying and retrieving vessels for all emergency service agencies.
Josh has held roles including Deputy Unit Commander, Emergency Officer and Volunteer Procurement Officer.
Not every moment with the SES is as adreline-infused as flood rescues.
Josh said there was plenty of time spent taking care of equipment, filling out paperwork, and connecting with people – and he loved all of it.
“We come in for muster every Monday night at 7 pm and we can hang around doing training, vehicle and equipment checks until 11 or 12 pm,” he said.
“It’s a very close-knit community, and it’s generally all hands-on stuff that’s really interesting, making sure we’re prepared for any severe weather events that impact our community.
“It’s one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve made; I’ve learnt a lot of skills and been able to make a positive difference for people going through some of the worst experiences of their lives.”
Josh’s record of service includes deployments to major incidents including the Eugowra floods in November 2022, where he played a vital role in lifesaving flood rescue missions.
NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said Josh represented the future of the SES.
“Josh leads with compassion, courage and commitment, and continually steps up to serve his community,” he said.
“His dedication to learning, mentoring others and taking on responsibility at such a young age is truly exceptional. The NSW SES is proud to recognise him as this the 2024 Young Volunteer of the Year.
“Josh is an inspiration to all volunteers. He supports everybody and gives up countless hours to serve his community. His willingness to help in any situation and constantly improve shows what a great role model he is.”
To join the NSW SES, go to its website.
