Value Us Because We Value You

The PSA’s “Value Us Because We Value You” campaign is a statewide campaign for salaried staff of the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES). It is designed to highlight that while SES volunteers rightly receive public recognition, the paid staff who train, support, equip and coordinate those volunteers are equally essential to keeping communities safe.

The campaign has four main objectives:

1. Recognition for salaried SES staff

The PSA argues that every successful SES emergency response depends on hundreds of paid employees working behind the scenes. These staff:

• Train volunteers
• Maintain equipment and vehicles
• Plan emergency responses
• Coordinate logistics
• Manage communications and IT systems
• Support incident management
• Keep the organisation operating between disasters

The campaign message is simple:

If NSW values its SES volunteers, it must also value the people who make those volunteers effective.

2. Better long-term funding

A major focus is securing ongoing, sustainable funding, rather than funding that increases only after major floods, storms or other disasters.
The PSA says the “quiet years” are when staff prepare for the next emergency by:
planning operations
improving systems
delivering training
maintaining capability
strengthening emergency preparedness.
Without investment during these periods, NSW becomes less prepared for future emergencies.
3. Improving working conditions
As part of the campaign, the PSA surveyed SES members about the issues affecting them most. The survey covered:
what makes staff feel valued
excessive workloads
payment of overtime while flexible working arrangements (flex) are suspended
occupational violence experienced by staff.
The union intends to use the survey results to identify systemic problems and strengthen discussions with SES management.
4. Giving SES staff a stronger voice
The campaign also aims to increase engagement among salaried SES employees by:
encouraging participation in workplace meetings
strengthening delegate networks
recruiting new members
ensuring staff concerns are raised directly with management and the Minister for Emergency Services.
Delegates have already met with Jihad Dib to raise concerns about resourcing, workforce support, systems and preparedness.
Why the PSA believes the campaign matters
The PSA’s central argument is that public attention naturally focuses on volunteers during emergencies, but paid staff are often overlooked despite being critical to every response.
Using the campaign slogan:
“Value Us Because We Value You”
the union is emphasising that SES employees dedicate themselves to protecting communities every day, and they deserve recognition, investment and safe, sustainable working conditions in return.
The campaign also reflects the PSA’s broader view that investing in experienced public sector workers is essential to maintaining high-quality emergency services across NSW.