Diversity & Inclusion joint champion
Norieul Kinross – AV
Celebrating our Diversity & Inclusion joint champion: Norieul Kinross!
At our International Women’s Day forum on Thursday, we announced our Diversity & Inclusion Champion award. This award recognises an emergency management worker who has made outstanding contributions to fostering inclusivity, accessibility and equity within the sector. We are pleased to announce that our joint recipient is the incredible Norieul Kinross!
A passionate LGBTQIA+ operational leader at Ambulance Victoria, Norieul has dedicated over four years to ensuring that culturally and racially marginalised communities have access to life-saving information in their own languages. Recognising the significant barriers that are faced by non-English speaking families, Norieul became inspired to improve the cultural appropriateness, sensitivity and accuracy of medical information.
From co-developing multilingual resources to working closely with Arabic and Dari-speaking communities, her efforts look to break down barriers and make healthcare more accessible, while simultaneously improving health literacy. With plans to expand into Punjabi, Harazagi, Dinka, and Swahili, she is creating lasting change and ensuring that no one is left behind.
Alongside Norieul’s determination for change is a deep empathy for others. She recently worked alongside a non-English-speaking family caring for a terminally ill child, ensuring they understood their child’s palliative care plan and available support services, minimising unnecessary emergency calls.
Following the award recognition, Norieul expressed that, “this award isn’t just for me, it’s about everyone that I work with, and external stakeholders, and the elders I work with. There is still a long way to go with my projects, but I think if we can deliver resources in language that communities can make sense of, that lead to better health outcomes, we can break down stigma and biases.”
With her unwavering dedication, empathy and commitment to inclusivity, awarding Norieul this recognition was an undeniable choice. We look forward to seeing the continued work she does to bridge the gap in health literacy and to support emergency service management in becoming more accessible for our culturally diverse communities within Victoria.
Thank you Norieul for your admirable, ground-breaking work!
Diversity & Inclusion joint champion
Paul Santamaria – CFA
We would like to congratulate Paul Santamaria, a dedicated CFA Volunteer, for his outstanding contributions to fostering an inclusive and psychologically safe environment! He is our joint recipient for 2025 Diversity & Inclusion Champion.
As an active leader in the Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee, Paul champions the idea of inclusivity, and ensures that programs delivered within the CFA remain free of bias and equitable for all. His commitment to breaking down these biases and advocating for individuality allows the members around him to feel valued, heard and empowered.
In accepting the award, Paul shared that he was, “very embarrassed but very privileged and I am keen to continue making a difference.”
His collaborative leadership style ensures that every voice is heard and appreciated, fostering a psychologically safe environment where team members feel empowered to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences. Like any great leader, he not only fosters positive and open conversations but also addresses challenges head-on, calling out discrimination, harassment and inappropriate behaviour when necessary. He leads with authenticity, demonstrating vulnerability by acknowledging his own biases and experiences.
Today, we commend Paul not only for his commitment to inclusivity through dialogue but also for his courage in backing his words with action. His dedication to fostering collaboration and psychological safety inspires others to embrace diversity, speak up with confidence and stand up for what is right.
Thank you Paul for your unwavering commitment to making CFA and the broader emergency services sector a more inclusive and supportive environment for all!
Women’s Equality Initiative Award
Women in Rescue – SES
Congratulations to Women in Rescue – VICSES, our 2025 recipient of the Women’s Equality Initiative award. This award recognises an outstanding program within one of ESF’s 15 member agencies that explores and advocates for the equitable treatment and inclusion of women and gender-diverse people.
Women in Rescue has been recognised for its unwavering commitment to creating equitable opportunities for women and gender-diverse members in emergency services. The program provides participants with unique opportunities to develop their leadership skills and operational expertise, by providing hands-on training in critical response skills, including flood response, road crash rescue and casualty handling.
By actively challenging the barriers to inclusion that women and gender-diverse people face in traditionally male-dominated roles, Women in Rescue is driving meaningful-long-term change. By fostering leadership, network opportunities and greater familiarity with emergency tools and techniques, this program empowers participants to break barriers, redefine expectations and become leaders in their teams.
Upon receiving the award, Goldie Pergl from Women in Rescue, stated that, “this is a really good recognition of an event that this year, 7% of SES attended. This event is regularly described as one of the most positive experiences in the SES calendar, and it is absolutely lovely to receive this recognition from the ESF.”
This initiative exemplifies true gender equity advocacy by ensuring that all members, regardless of gender, are supported to contribute, lead and excel in emergency response.
A heartfelt congratulations to VICSES and all those involved in making this impactful initiative such a success!
Gender Inclusivity Encouragement Award
Young Leaders Mentoring Program – CFA
We are proud to present this year’s Gender Inclusivity Encouragement Award to the Young Leaders Mentoring Program at the CFA, acknowledging their commitment to fostering leadership, inclusion and professional growth among young volunteers.
This valuable program is equipping the next generation of CFA leaders with necessary leadership and management skills, by facilitating a mentoring environment where experienced members are able to pass on their critical knowledge and expertise. By fostering mentorship, professional development and clear pathways for progression, the program is actively improving volunteer engagement and retention among young people.
The program provides opportunities for both mentors and mentees. For mentees, the program offers tailored leadership development, career pathway guidance and personal growth opportunities to ensure their continued participation in brigade life. While for mentors, it provides a platform to share experiences, develop leadership skills and contribute to the long-term sustainability of CFA’s volunteer workforce.
We commend their efforts in fostering a more inclusive, skilled and engaged volunteer base and look forward to seeing the impact of this initiative in the years to come!
