They were the calm voices on the radio, a literal lifeline for firefighters in the field.
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They were the ones who kept the operations room running and ensured brigades had the resources they needed.
They were the ones who tracked firefighters up and down the coast.
They were the ones on the end of the phone when you rang Triple 000 - a thousand times.
They were the ones who kept the first draft of history - the log books.
They were the ones who gave around the clock when the Far South Coast and Shoalhaven needed it most.
And on Monday evening, they were the ones who received NSW Premier's Citations for their efforts in the summer bushfires.
Members of the Eurobodalla Volunteer Operations Support team were honoured at the Moruya Fire Control Centre in a ceremony with Far South Coast Area Commander Chief Superintendent Goetz Graf, district manager Superintendent John Cullen, FSC incident controller Inspector Angus Barnes, Eurobodalla Shire Mayor Liz Innes and Infrastructure Director Warren Sharpe.
Also applauding them were FSC Operations Officers Jane Mansergh and Tamsyne Harlen and group officers Bruce Little, Bruce Smith, Paul Cannon, Jenny Bamman, Trevor Fletcher and Ritchie Sealy.
Those honoured were: Peter Anderson, Carol Clarke, Senior Deputy Captain Ronald Clarke, Denise Gribble, Annette Hazell, Jane Knuckey, Patrick McNeile, Deputy Captain Judith Moore, Janis Preston-Stanley, Diann Price, John Sanders, Deputy Captain Michael Lane, Carol Williams, Captain Danielle Brice, Gerard Simms and John Sanders.
Mostly based in the Eurobodalla Shire, they were integral to the Far South Coast effort and members of the team had also travelled to support Shoalhaven and North Coast crews in the 2019-20 fire season.
A proud Captain Brice said her team "operated under very extreme and trying conditions". "I witnessed a professional team that went above and beyond to support brigades and other agencies."