Five heroes have received Australian Bravery Awards recognition for their courage during south-west emergencies.
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Portland police Senior Constable Ash Rawlings received a bravery medal for his daring rescue of a woman from a burning house in Portland North on August 4, 2016.
Senior Constable Rawlings was on duty with Senior Constable Tom Dempsey, who received a commendation for brave conduct, when they saw smoke billowing from a residential property.
On reaching the home they saw a shed well alight and smoke coming from the house.
Senior Constable Rawlings heard 26-year-old Maddi Arnold screaming for help from inside the house.
To gain access to the house he had to kick in the door of the shed, which was engulfed in flames, and manoeuvre past a gas bottle.
As he reached the rear of the home, black smoke was billowing out and Ms Arnold continued to scream for help.
He quickly made his way through the house, locating Ms Arnold in the living room.
She was panicking and disorientated.
Senior Constable Rawlings began to escort Ms Arnold and her cat towards an exit.
With dense smoke and minimal visibility Senior Constable Rawlings became disorientated inside the home.
By this time Senior Constable Dempsey had secured the area and was near the rear door of the house.
Using verbal cues and instructions he guided Senior Constable Rawlings, Ms Arnold and her cat out of the house and to a safe location.
With the potential risk of the gas bottle exploding, the surrounding area and homes were evacuated and the road was blocked.
A short time later the gas bottle exploded.
Both Ms Arnold and the policemen suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital.
Ms Arnold's fiance Jacob Hein Portland pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to arson and was convicted and placed on a 12-month community corrections order which included 120 hours of unpaid community work.
The court heard Hein never made an attempt to extinguish the fire and he knew Ms Arnold was asleep inside.
Tragically, Ms Arnold was killed in a car accident about three weeks after the house fire.
Ms Arnold's father, Ian Leck, praised the work of the policemen and said they couldn't thank them enough for their efforts.
"(Ash) is such an incredible bloke," he said. "I can't say enough to thank them. They deserve everything they get."
Ms Arnold's sister Jade Arnold said she was so pleased that these two "brave police officers" received recognition.
It was a dangerous situation.
- Martin Flannery
"There's no two men more deserving," she said.
There's no two men more deserving.
- Jade Arnold
Sergeant Martin Flannery, of Portland police, said both policemen entered the hazardous incident with the risk of gas cylinders igniting.
"It was a dangerous situation," he said.
He said the entire staff at the Portland police station were proud of Senior Constable Rawlings and Senior Constable Dempsey.
Portland district Senior Constable Mark McLean was also commended for brave conduct during the evacuation of campers during major bushfires near Kentbruck, near Portland.
On the afternoon of January 6, 2013, Senior Constable McLean was on duty in the Dartmoor area when he was notified that bush fires were threatening to jump containment lines near Kentbruck.
A total fire ban was in place and the area had recorded temperatures of 41.9 degrees and wind speeds of 35 kph. Visibility was low and the fire was moving quickly through pine plantations.
Despite the imminent danger, he drove his police vehicle through heavy smoke, and under direct threat of the approaching volatile fire, to nearby major camping grounds to check for people.
He attended various camping grounds and evacuated several campers who were in close proximity to the uncontrolled fire front.
The fire was not able to be contained and burnt out of control for a further five days.
Apsley's Natalie Dearden and Taylors Lake's Tim Kelm also displayed considerable bravery during the rescue of a woman and young child from a burning vehicle near Edenhope on the afternoon of October 20, 2015.
Mrs Dearden was travelling near Edenhope when a vehicle ahead suddenly veered off the highway, travelled across oncoming lanes of traffic and crashed into a large tree.
The car flipped onto its side before coming to rest on the edge of the highway.
Mrs Dearden and others, including Mr Kelm, immediately stopped their vehicles and she ran towards the damaged vehicle.
She climbed up on to the side of the car and found the female driver semi-conscious and dazed, and a young child, in a car seat, in the rear passenger area.
She unsuccessfully tried to open the car door and was unable to communicate with the driver.
As flames were coming from numerous points of the vehicle, Mrs Dearden tried to break the driver's side window.
She was offering reassurance to the occupants when Mr Kelm ran to the vehicle and smashed two car windows with a tyre lever.
They then reached into the car and released the child from the rear seat.
Mrs Dearden and Mr Kelm worked frantically to release the driver's foot, all the time fully aware of the flames on the floor cavity of the vehicle.
They were eventually able to remove her from the vehicle, and shortly after the car was engulfed in flames.
They both received the bravery medal.
The Governor-General David Hurley announced the south-west residents were among 83 Australian Bravery Awards, recognising the courage, sacrifice and selflessness of the recipients.
"As we face the huge challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to set aside time to celebrate these individuals and take inspiration from the example of selflessness that they set," he said.
"Australian Bravery Awards recognise courage and sacrifice. Perhaps most importantly, they recognise people who, in a moment of danger or threat, think of others ahead of their own safety.
"We celebrate their bravery and the example that they set: putting others before self and a willingness to help strangers, the vulnerable and those in danger in the most difficult of times."
Examples of the sort of actions recognised include rescuing people from hazardous situations, burning vehicles and homes and from dangerous floodwaters.
Two Australian Bravery lists are announced every year. The independent Australian Bravery Decorations Council makes recommendations to the Governor-General regarding who should be recognised and at what level of award.
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