General News
14 October, 2025
Rachel to lead Maryborough’s SES unit
Maryborough local Rachel Mitchell has recently been appointed as Maryborough’s new SES Unit Controller, over-seeing the unit’s management, training and operation.
Ms Mitchell is looking forward to taking on a role that will entail vast leadership and responsibility within the Maryborough unit, accountable for the numerous roles the SES take on.
“Controller of a unit is basically like a captain of a fire brigade. We’ve got the overall control of the unit, although we tend to still have other people that work with us,” she said.
“We’ve got a deputy controller, and a couple of other section leaders that assist us with running the unit. I’m not in charge of it all by myself. I have a team that I work with.”
Ms Mitchell has gained vast experience following the Maryborough SES unit to several incidents since joining 15 years ago.
“We do road crashes, industrial rescues, storms and floods, but we also assist police with missing person searches,” she said.
“We support CFA when there are big fire events, often it will be trained SES volunteers that will go off to help with those, so when firefighters are back from a long day we can keep track of equipment, they’ll have their food, a place to sleep, so they have somewhere to rest. We do a lot that people don’t realise.”
Her appointment into the role follows the skills and relationships she has built with members since first joining the unit.
During that time, the invaluable support from other unit members in the aftermath of her husband’s death has allowed Ms Mitchell to support others.
“It’s the relationships you build. There are a few members I have known for a long time, some I met before I joined and others that have joined since,” she said.
“My husband was a member here, and during the 2010 and 2011 floods, before we were engaged, he got me to communicate with those who were struggling, and I joined after that.
“He unfortunately died in an accident 11 years ago and the members helped me get through all of that. They loved him, and being in this environment really helped me because I still go out and help with unfortunate fatalities, and I look at it as looking after a loved one or a family member.”
Ms Mitchell said she has gone on to have numerous experiences with the SES she never anticipated.
“You do a lot of things you never thought you would do, I’m actually a teacher outside of SES, so jumping into a car and talking to a person while they are getting cut out of it was something I never thought I would be doing, but I was doing it within the first year,” she said.
“Instead of them hearing the noises and panicking because I have actually experienced that as the car is getting cut around you, sometimes that can be even more scary than the initial injuries, it’s trying to calm them down and make it easier.
“I never thought I would be cutting up cars or anything like that, but I’ve done a lot of varied things and met people from around the state.”
The Maryborough SES unit continues to train throughout the year and is urging more locals to get involved.
“I know we have got a small group, so we do need more members. It’s a lot of training you can go through, even if you have been using a chain saw from the age of five, you still need to go through our course, but we would love it,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We need more able bodied people to come help us out, even if you think you are too old, there is nothing you can’t do, there are still things you can do to help us.”