It’s International Women’s Day, a time to thank our many women volunteers for their service to Marine Rescue NSW and the wider New South Wales community.
Yesterday we profiled two of our wonderful women volunteers. Today, meet two more of our dedicated women volunteers and hear their story.
Megan Loaney: Marine Rescue Gosford
At high school, Megan did Marine Studies for her Higher School Certificate, and discovered a love for being out on the water. That led eighteen months ago to her deciding to join her local Marine Rescue Central Coast unit, joining just short of her twentieth birthday and finding herself as the youngest female member at the unit, significantly younger than the other women volunteers.
Since then, Megan has relished the opportunity to develop, already achieving her Crew rating, and is working towards both her Leading Crew and Radio Operator qualifications. On top of this, Megan helps with the unit’s media and social media, editing videos and helping to raise the unit’s profile in the local community; and has even tried her hand at fundraising.
The big benefit of membership of Marine Rescue for Megan, apart from getting out on the water which she loves, is that she gets to help people in her local community who have gotten themselves into trouble.
Unintentionally, Megan has become somewhat of a pioneer at the unit, being not just the youngest woman, but also LGBTQI+. While that’s presented a few challenges along the way, Megan is pleased to have opened the door for other young women, regardless of their sexuality, to get involved.
“I really enjoy being in the emergency services and helping people,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter what your age, gender or sexuality is, everyone has a valuable contribution they can make.”
“I hope that my example will encourage other young women to join and to help set aside the gendered stereotypes that have traditionally been associated with the emergency services.”
Fran Breen: Marine Rescue Forster Tuncurry
While Fran’s busy legal and administrative career had come to an end, she knew she had much to offer to a large volunteer organisation. The ability to work out ‘set and drift’ patterns, use various search and rescue techniques, operate marine radios and co-ordinate rescues on the water are but a few of the skills she’s unexpectedly acquired as a volunteer since joining Marine Rescue NSW in 2011.
Newly retired from a busy legal and administrative career and feeling she had much to offer to a large volunteer organisation, Fran Breen joined Marine Rescue Forster Tuncurry as a trainee radio operator in October 2011.
Her husband having already spent three years on the boats, operating radios, as an Administration Officer and Deputy Unit Commander; Fran thought this would be a good way to develop a common interest in retirement and meet new people as well as keep her ‘grey matter’ developing.
For Fran, volunteering with Marine Rescue is a great way to utilise existing skills, learn new ones and meet like-minded people from the community.
According to Fran, “There are multiple aspects to volunteering with Marine Rescue. You can find your niche almost anywhere., whether it’s crewing boats, operating marine radios, participating in the many aspects of fundraising, utilising your writing skills, balancing the books. The list goes on.”
“There is satisfaction in knowing I am contributing to one of the pivotal organisations in this vibrant coastal town, that through the combined efforts of our members, we do save lives on the water.”
The new skills Fran learned as a radio operator and Watch Officer were never ones she would ever have thought she’d learn. The ability to work out ‘set and drift’ patterns, use various search and rescue techniques, operate marine radios and co-ordinate rescues on the water are but a few of the skills she’s unexpectedly acquired as a volunteer.
Not being a sports minded person, back in 2018 it was a big surprise to Fran to be chosen to represent Marine Rescue and carry the Commonwealth Games Baton over the channel from Tuncurry to Forster on board Forster 30 in February 2018, representing Marine Rescue.
In looking at her experience as a woman at Marine Rescue, Fran noted that while Marine Rescue is predominantly composed of male members with the majority of boat crew male, there is no area of Marine Rescue in which a woman cannot operate.
“There are physical limits which can be faced by any person, especially in crewing a vessel. Over the years we have had a number of women learn the ropes on the boats and succeed, we currently have two qualified female boat crew, one a leading crew member.”
“Women should definitely consider “giving it a go”, you never know what hidden skills you’ll discover!”
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