News

Allison Flaxman’s job is to take care of her fellow Sydney-siders during severe weather events. When a storm or flood hits Australia’s biggest city, Allison is one of the people in charge at the NSW SES Incident Management Centre in Sydney Olympic Park.

As the Deputy Zone Commander of our Metro Zone, which covers Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Allison is responsible for taking care of those on the front line. Throughout her twenty-year career with the NSW State Emergency Service, Allison has been involved in managing numerous major emergencies across the state. This year, she is being awarded for her long and dedicated service with the Emergency Services Medal in the Australia Day 2020 Honours List.

Allison’s Emergency Service Medal will be joining a cupboard full of awards, including the National Medal & Clasp 1, NSW SES State Medal for the Hunter/Sydney Northern Storms and the NSW SES Commissioner’s Unit Citation for outstanding efforts during storm events in April 2015. She has been awarded two NSW SES Director General’s Unit Citations, a NSW SES Commissioner’s Certificate of Appreciation and a NSW SES Commissioner’s Letter of Appreciation as well as 5, 10 and 15 Year Long Service awards.

Allison has built a reputation as a trusted and respected leader who puts the needs of her community and volunteers before herself. With a graduate Certificate in Applied Management (Policing & Emergency Services) and a knack of inspiring confidence in her team, Allison has been a driving force in creating a collaborative and empowering environment for all her volunteers.