{"id":361544,"date":"2025-06-12T19:20:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T09:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=361544"},"modified":"2025-06-13T18:06:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T08:06:39","slug":"wondai-says-thank-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2025\/06\/12\/wondai-says-thank-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Wondai Says ‘Thank You’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Wondai Neighbourhood Watch Area Co-Ordinator Darren Buckley with secretary \/ treasurer Joy Buckley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 12, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

A chilly night couldn’t stop the Wondai Neighbourhood Watch group from giving a warm “thank you” to the town’s emergency services personnel on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n

The get-together at Wondai Memorial Hall was open to the local community who were invited to come along to thank their firefighters, ambulance paramedics, police and other local agencies.<\/p>\n

There was information available about the various services, and the Wondai Lions Club also organised a free barbecue.<\/p>\n

The evening coincided with the annual “Thank A First Responder Day”,\u00a0 a national day of appreciation for first responders and their families.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are more than 370,000 first responders across Australia who support local communities.<\/p>\n

Many of these people face enormous tasks as part of their day-to-day activities, from attending horrific crashes and medical emergencies to fighting bushfires and rescuing residents from floodwaters.<\/p>\n

Many also can face personal harm while carrying out their duties.<\/p>\n

In fact, a national counselling service for first responders, says one in three experience high or very high psychological distress from trauma experienced on the job with PTSD affecting between 10 and 23 per cent.<\/p>\n

Wondai Neighbourhood Watch area co-ordinator Darren Buckley said he wanted to thank all first responders for their service to the community.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He presented “thank you” baskets to representatives from the groups present.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff said emergency services do not get “anywhere near the recognition” they deserved.<\/p>\n

“You are all at the coalface during a wonderful job … dealing with life and death situations,” she said.<\/p>\n

Mayor Duff also made special mention of the dedication of Captain Wayne “Cookie” Jeffrey who was farewelled by Wondai Fire Station colleagues last week after an amazing 45 years with the Queensland Fire Department.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Army Reserve Sgt Andrew Sampson (25\/49 RQR) with McEuen Rural Fire Service volunteers Russell Dower, 1st Officer Khan Donald and volunteer community educator Kerry Lloyd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
McEuen Rural Fire Service 2nd officer Martin Lloyd and 3rd officer Andrew Perkins with Acting Senior Constable Matthew Ash (Wondai Police), Mayor Kathy Duff and Snr Sgt Jason Hopgood (Toowoomba)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Bob Baldwin, from the Murgon Local Ambulance Committee, with Murgon QAS graduate paramedic Abbey Ward and advanced care paramedic Olivia Berlin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Kerry Baldwin, from the Murgon Local Ambulance Committee, with Cr Heath Sander<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Wondai Lions Club volunteers Louise Farbek and Karen Chambers were working the sausage sizzle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Wondai residents Roy and Glenys Radunz with Craig Yarrow, at back, from the Wondai Post Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Gwyn Hodge and Margaret Heritage, both from Wondai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The group of local First Responders and residents which gathered at Wondai Town Hall on Wednesday night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wondai Neighbourhood Watch president Darren Buckley presented “thank you” baskets to local first responders and Wondai Lions, which helped out at the Expo:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Baskets were presented to … top row, Acting Senior Constable Matthew Ash (QPS) and Captain Andrew Sampson (Army Reserve); middle row, paramedic Jayme Duley (QAS) and 1st Officer Khan Donald (McEuen RFS) ; and bottom row, firefighter Jacob Riley (Wondai QFD) and Dale Langley (Wondai Lions Club president)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A chilly night couldn’t stop the Wondai Neighbourhood Watch group from giving a warm “thank you” to the town’s emergency services personnel on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":361547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,3],"tags":[26],"yoast_head":"\nWondai Says 'Thank You' - southburnett.com.au<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A chilly night couldn't stop the Wondai Neighbourhood Watch group from giving a warm "thank you" to the town's emergency services personnel on Wednesday evening.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2025\/06\/12\/wondai-says-thank-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wondai Says 'Thank You' - 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