COUNTRY Fire Authority deputy chief officer for Victoria Alan Ellis, formerly of Bendigo, had the honour of presenting his 85-year-old father a national medal for his work on Black Saturday.
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Alan Ellis presented about 150 National Emergency Medals in Bendigo on Sunday, one of which went to his father George Ellis snr.
“It was quite an honour. It was a really proud moment for me," Alan said.
"He’s the reason I’m in the fire brigade. I joined as a volunteer actually, just after Ash Wednesday."
George defended his property and neighbouring properties at Long Gully from a fire on Black Saturday in 2009.
While Alan was working in a control centre, focusing on a fire at East Kilmore, his father was working with a garden hose to save the shed which housed his plumbing business.
"It wasn’t a bad effort for a man of 80,'' Alan said.
"He was a long-time volunteer firefighter and he was able to do some good work because of his training."
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