She was given the honour for distinguished service to the SES.
Awarded by the Governor-General, the Emergency Services Medal was instituted in 1999 to recognise distinguished service as a member of an Australian emergency service.
It also recognises people who are involved in emergency management, training or education.
During Ms Sheldrick’s 14 years as a community resilience co-ordinator with the SES, she has demonstrated outstanding commitment in emergency management operations, training and community education and engagement.
Ms Sheldrick is committed to the provision of invaluable public information and community liaison work on the front line in major events.
Some of the incidents across Victoria and in NSW have included:
- The Victorian flood events of 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2022
- Fire campaigns of 2003, 2006, 2009, 2019/20
- Storm events of 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021
- A blue-green algae emergency in 2016, and
- Earthquake events in 2017, 2021, and 2022.
Ms Sheldrick has also undertaken volunteer duties so she could fulfil more community engagement obligations — over and above what is required in her role.
Ms Sheldrick has been a leader in training and co-ordination as a facilitator of the multi-agency Public Information Officer training suite (including warnings, media and community liaison) and the VICSES Community Engagement Facilitator course for more than 14 years.
Community engagement is an important function at VICSES.
A community that is well prepared for floods, storms and other emergency situations can reduce the impacts and lessen the consequences of an emergency, saving lives and property.
This is why Ms Sheldrick’s passion is to share her knowledge and experience in operational settings to coach and mentor staff and volunteers as they support the community in preparedness, response and recovery messaging during and after emergency events.
Ms Sheldrick works closely with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and joint public information committees to ensure that, across the whole agency, its messaging is delivered in a consistent way.
Ms Sheldrick has been a pivotal figure in cultural awareness training at VICSES and, more broadly, throughout the sector.
Much of the material used today by VICSES to support CALD and wider communities was developed and enhanced by Ms Sheldrick, who has worked to develop and refine the material over several years.
Ms Sheldrick has been a go-to for community engagement and public information personnel around the state, providing ongoing leadership and mentoring for staff and volunteers entering the emergency management sector.
Ms Sheldrick has even been honoured before.
As the first female captain of a CFA brigade, a street at a Victorian Emergency Training Centre was named after her.
Ms Sheldrick’s will to show up for her community when needed is one of the strongest in the emergency management sector.
The Victorian community is unquestionably safer for her tireless work.
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