Citation - May 2010

For meritorious service to the Jerrabomberra Creek Rural Fire Brigade and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Mrs Karen Gibbs is nominated for Life Membership of the Jerrabomberra Creek Rural Fire Brigade.

Karen has been a member of the NSW RFS since 1 January 1985 and has remained a member of the Brigade under is various names, including Burra, Williamsdale, and currently Jerrabomberra Creek, during that time. Karen has also been active in the State Emergency Service from 1983 till 1989. As well as sharing her time with our Brigade, Karen has supported her family members being part of our Brigade, notably her husband Steve, and son Tom. Family support is critical to a functional and effective Brigade, and we thank Karen for continuing to encourage and support her family’s involvement.

Karen is also an accomplished firefighter herself, completing Basic, Advanced, and Crew Leader training courses and attending major incidents with the Brigade. This includes battling the 1985 Canberra fires which impacted within the Brigade area, and attending fires in Bungendore, Hoskinstown, Gundaroo and Melrose Valley during her service. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, when Brigade vehicles were housed at private properties, Karen and Steve were often the initial responders to many incidents in our local area.

As a dedicated volunteer, Karen has also given her time to the role of Brigade Secretary from 1993 to 1995. Additionally, in recognising the need for not only a storage and training facility but also a focal point for the Brigade and wider community, the Gibbs family donated the land on which today’s fire shed at Old Cooma Road stands. This initial 120 square metre donation for the Brigade’s first fire shed was later extended to include the land that today’s Training /Community Room occupies