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They protect us. Help us protect them.
Every day, Victoria’s emergency service workers – paid and volunteer – make an enormous contribution to our community. According to Fire to Light, first responders experience 1,000% to 25,000% more trauma than the general population. Unsurprisingly, rates of psychological distress and PTSD are significantly higher across the sector.
The impact is real – and it doesn’t just affect the workers themselves, but also their families, colleagues, and communities.
That’s where ESF comes in.
We deliver vital, preventative programs to protect the mental health and wellbeing of those who protect us. Working in collaboration with wellbeing managers across our 15 member agencies, we design initiatives that fill the gaps and complement existing supports — from peer-led training to leadership development, family support, and trauma-informed recovery programs.
This EOFY, your tax-deductible donation can help fund this work and strengthen the mental health safety net for Victoria’s emergency service workers.
It’s tax-deductible. It’s urgent. And it matters.
Donate before 30 June — so they can keep showing up for themselves, and for us.
Tony's Trek 2026: Paddling for Awareness
This year our Chair, Tony Pearce, will embark on an unsupported, solo 2,400 kilometer paddle down the Murray River to raise awareness of the profound mental health challenges faced by our emergency workers, and to acknowledge the impact of that on their families.
The Paddle for Awareness will begin mid April 2026.
This journey is expected to take approximately 55 days, during which time Tony will paddle the full length of the navigable part of the Murray River starting in New South Wales and finishing at the mouth of the Murray in South Australia. Shining a light on the hidden toll that emergency work takes on those who serve our communities because the statistics are damning, and we must do better.
This solo journey down the Murray River will be both a physical and mental challenge for Tony, much like the daily experiences of our emergency workers. Along the way he will connect with local communities, share stories of resilience, and highlight the need for robust mental health resources and support systems. Aiming is to inspire action and raise vital funds to enhance programs that promote wellbeing for our emergency services personnel.
The funds raised through this year’s initiative will be used to help the all too often forgotten families of our emergency workers. ESF wants to keep up the momentum created at the fantastic 2024 Family Matters Expo hosted in association with the AFL emergency services match which saw families from across the sector come together in a fun atmosphere to be acknowledged, connect, and learn – because they too can be deeply affected by the job of their emergency services worker family member.
Better together. That’s what we aim to be.
The Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) is proud to announce a new partnership with Safe Steps to pilot a DFV Support Network in 2025.
This free program is open to all Victorian volunteer emergency service/ management volunteer leaders.
The independent evaluation of ESF’s Residential Wellbeing Program pilot, overseen by Phoenix Australia and Findex, is now available. The findings show the program is immensely impactful from both a personal and organisational perspective.
