“I feel very fortunate to be recognised in this way, he said.

“I also feel very fortunate to be part of an organisation that is highly regarded within the community. Being a firefighter with FRNSW is in its own right is a great privilege. Receiving an AFSM today is surreal and an absolute honour”.

Capt Dorin has been responsible for two important community initiatives. He developed the Home Care & Disability Fire Safety Program after recognising the potential link between clients and carers and how this could help support fire safety efforts. The program uses a QR code which becomes part of a client’s communication folder. It allows access to fire-safety resources including an electronic form to book a free safety visit from local firefighters.

And for this year’s Winter Fire Safety Campaign, FRNSW launched his Smoke Alarm Action Day, or SAAD initiative, which asks people to check that their smoke alarms were working, on the first day of winter. A time that usually sees an increase in residential fires.

CityNews editor Ian Meikle congratulated Capt Dorin on his well-deserved achievement.

“His creative, wry sense of humour shines through in every cartoon so it’s no surprise that he’s been the creative genius behind the FRNSW’s community initiatives.

“And beyond his loyal service as a model fireman, readers would be unaware of the hundreds of  hours he has devoted to all sorts of charity endeavours that utilise his drawing skills. He deserves another gong for just putting up with me! Maybe next year?”

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