QFD Australia Day award winners revealed

Saving lives is all in a day's work for Queensland Fire Department (QFD) staff and volunteers. Meet some of the winners of the 2026 QFD Australia Day Achievement Awards.

Winner Lulu He was nominated in the awards by Peter Mason.

Day or night, they respond in moments of crisis, support people when it matters most, and act with care and courage during disasters.

This year's Queensland Fire Department Australia Day Achievement Awards shine a light on 51 people who've gone above and beyond to deliver fire and emergency services.

Caring for our communities

We have a long history of helping our Queensland government front line and support services workers to save for retirement. And we've been proud supporters of the Australia Day awards for 18 years.

It's one of the many ways we support our members and the communities they live in.

As award ceremonies roll out across the state, we've unearthed some of the stories of those who care so much for the wellbeing of others.

Terry Saville – Southern Cross Rural Fire Brigade

Terry Saville has served his community day and night for a staggering 58 years.

Terry received a QFD Australia Day Achievement Award for leadership and mentorship. The recognition came as a surprise to him.

'I didn't expect it at all but someone dobbed me in,' he said.

5 decades of service

Now aged 78, the Charters Towers first officer still responds to call-outs during the day. But he admits night responses are now harder.

'I started volunteering when I was about 21 in NSW,' he said.

'And while I've been in lots of different fire brigades, including in Queensland where I moved up to several years after joining, I still enjoy it.'

Over the years, Terry has taken on many leadership roles. He's guided new members and shared practical skills.

His knowledge helps keep remote Far North Queensland communities safe.

Best part of the job

Terry still answers calls in his trusted LandCruiser. He responds to major disasters and planned hazard reduction burns.

After all these years, the most rewarding moments stay the same.

'Old scrub and timber can be the hardest bushland to get a fire out in as there are roots under the ground and sometimes you think it's out but it can come back a week later,' he said.

Interested in volunteering?

The Rural Fire Service Queensland has many volunteer roles available.

Shakira Westdorp – QFR Southern Region

QSuper member Shakira Westdorp won her award for leading recruitment and development of QFD auxiliary firefighters.

The former Gold Coast lifeguard never planned a career in fire and rescue. She decided to 'give it a crack' after realising how many skills she could bring from the beach to the station.

Fifteen years later, she calls it the most rewarding job of her life.

'It's shown me just how much you can positively impact people,' she said.

From beach to bush

Shakira's work has taken her from the coast to regional Queensland. For the past 15 months, she's worked as area commander in Roma.

She supports communities from Injune to Mitchell, including Surat, Wandoan and Meandarra.

Her teams help with anything from major road crashes to grass fires and natural disasters.

'We respond to very dynamic situations,' she said.

Shakira was also sent to Charleville during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred last year. There, she helped some of Queensland's worst flood-affected regions.

True team effort

On any given day, Shakira's hard at work supporting firefighters and auxiliary teams. She balances meetings with community leaders while working closely with crews on the ground.

'A lot of my time is spent understanding what teams need to do the best job possible,' she said.

She says her Australia Day award reflected a true team effort.

'What we achieved over those 15 months was significant,' she said.

'But it only happened because of the commitment of the crews.'

Other winners for 2026

The awards also recognised other QFD staff and volunteers from across Queensland, including:

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