“Volunteering is volunteering, it’s not for medals,” Gail Butt of Young said.
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The Monteagle Rural Fire Brigade member is so modest of her 40 plus years of volunteer work, it took organisers about an hour to talk her into accepting an Australian Honours List medal.
Otherwise known as “mother duck” - a title given to her by NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell last fire season – Jennifer Gail Butt of Cowra Road said she didn’t accept medals because the satisfaction of the job was her reward.
“She doesn’t like blow her own trumpet,” husband Keith Butt said.
But her long list of roles with community organisations - particularly the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) - and a very persuasive voice on the other end of the phone, found the 67-year-old accepting an Australian Fire Service Medal during a special ceremony yesterday.
Gail joined the RFS in 1969 as a member of the Monteagle Brigade and has always been directly involved with the service, combating many local campaigns.
In the early days Gail provided communications support to the brigade and her husband, who was then the brigade captain.
In recent years her attention and focus turned to the establishment and management of the ‘Monteagle Catering Trailer’ used at any scale fire.
This undertaking had humble beginnings with an offering of just sandwiches and scones in a basket with recipes on standby to whip up at a moment’s notice.
Then food safety requirements were brought in, which Gail said only upgraded her operation and she completed courses to comply.
It was after the fire at the Young Abattoir 15 years ago that her operation really moved up a notch with the construction of the purpose-built trailer, capable of cooking three course meals, she could take wherever she was needed.
The welcome Gail and the trailer received on many fire grounds throughout the South West Slopes Zone was priceless.
So much so she made national headlines last season for her efforts during the devastating Jugiong fire in January.
Armed with cool drinks, slices of watermelon and a hug, Gail was feeding 345-350 people a day and sometimes cooking until 3.30am.
And in her words?
“It’s just something you do.”
She told The Young Witness last year after helping out in Bookham, where the Jugiong fire had spread to, “when they (firefighters) come in, they’re hot, they’re dirty but you rush out and give them a hug – that’s my job”.
Gail has also been a logistics manager, change manager, active participant, mentor and committee member with the RFS, and has served as the brigade's permit officer since 1996.
Her other duties and accolades in the community include being named the Young Lions Club 2013 Citizen of the Year, NSW Department of Primary Industries 'Hidden Treasure' in 2011, and volunteering for the Riding for Disabled Association, Monteagle Red Cross for 22 years and the Young Show Society for 47 years.
“People choose what they want to do and I chose that. I chose many things,” Gail said.