By Mitchell Clarke
Ahmad Alhamid migrated from Syria four years ago for a life free from violence and war, but he chose Australia to be with the love of his life.
He wanted to give back to his newfound community and wanted to help people, so he signed up to volunteer with the VICSES Emerald Unit.
“I’ve been a VICSES volunteer for over four years, and I can say with pride that I have loved every minute of it,” he said.
“It makes everything worth it when I see how much I can help my community.”
But Mr Alhamid couldn’t do what he does without the support of his beloved wife Nicole and daughter Hana.
Initially, he was worried that the training requirements, responding to emergency incidents and long days would take a toll on his family, but his family’s support have made the role so achievable.
“I’m very lucky that I have the support of Nicole and Hana, I don’t think I would be able to continue in this role if I didn’t,” he explained.
The remarkable story of this family forms part of the SES ‘Your Family, Our Family’ campaign, an initiative which highlights the support and sacrifices family members and friends make on a daily basis, so the community can feel a little safer knowing dedicated volunteers will be available to respond in an emergency.
“Family and friends play a huge part in SES volunteers being able to do what they do and I really want to thank each and every friend and family member who support our volunteers,” VICSES chief officer Tim Wiebusch said.
At the sudden sound of the pager calling for Ahmad to assist his community, Nicole will pick up where he needs to leave off. From cooking meals to looking after Hana alone for long periods of time, Nicole forms an integral role in allowing Ahmad to help out their greater community.
“My family are my priority, but being able to support my community in their time of need also means a great deal to me,” he said.
“It can be hard to find a balance, but Nicole is fantastic at keeping things moving if I need to be off at an incident.”
Ahmad and Nicole met in Syria 10 years ago at a hotel he owned.
“We’re very proud of Ahmad. To see where he has come from and all the great work he is doing now to support his community is truly commendable,” Nicole said.
“Even if it’s hard sometimes when he has to run off, it makes it all worthwhile and us very proud to see him selflessly helping those in need.”
