DFES Honour for Triniteq Support Lead

Many companies have a set of values that are decided on by their management team and likely displayed on a wall and then ignored until the next iteration. At Triniteq, we’re really proud of our company values and we regularly discuss how they guide and influence the day-to-day running of our business and how we interact in our external environment.

The Triniteq value 'Respect' particularly shines through in the actions of our National Support Manager, Matthew Bartels, as a volunteer firefighter, and the recent public recognition of his role in the Waroona Fire of 2016.

“Respect - We generate respect through loyalty, compassion, and care for our communities and environment.”

Following family tradition, Matt (as he likes to be called) has been involved in the volunteer fire service since he was young, starting out in the Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. He’s now in the State-wide Operational Response Division of the Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Brigade which involves regular training in his own time at the DFES Firefighter Academy and regional offices.

Recently, he was recognised in a formal ceremony by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) for his efforts in the Waroona bush fires of 2016.

The towns of Waroona and Yarloop are approximately 100km south of Perth, Western Australia, and in 2016 they experienced one of the most devastating bush fires on state record, destroying both towns and 160 homes in just 2 days, and causing 2 fatalities.

At the time of the Waroona fire, Matt was a member of one of the many volunteer strike teams mobilised from all over the state, sent in to assist local fire brigades. Matt and his team were deployed to protect people’s houses by putting out spot fires from flying embers and containing the fire by protecting the people and machinery creating firebreaks. Often this meant waiting with their truck for the fire to approach and then putting it out as best they could.

At the ceremony in August 2019, attended by the DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm, Matt (and his dad) received Certificates of Distinction, which were awarded to volunteers and DFES career staff across the State for their outstanding actions in this emergency situation.

Emergency Services Minister, Francis Logan, commented on the recipients:

"[They] carried out their duties to the highest degree, showing great dedication and bravery in the face of unimaginable conditions and immense challenges. More than three years have passed, but their efforts are still in the minds of the people who worked alongside them, and the individuals they helped protect.”

On receiving the award, Matt said:

“I think it’s nice to be recognised however I don’t do it for the recognition. I’m quite happy to be out there doing this for the community and getting involved in something different. I know many of us who received the awards don’t feel like we did anything particularly special. We were there to do our job and we did our job to the best of our abilities as we would any other fire.”

Well done Matt! You really are a great example of how our values guide our priorities and our behaviour and you’re an asset to the Triniteq team. Look out for Matt when you next call Triniteq POS support or get your Triniteq Point of Sale installed in Perth or WA.

Need more info? Call us on 1300 784 666 or drop us an email.