A Portland resident who was first on the scene at the explosion that killed John Burrows in Villiers Lane in 2015 has received a medal for his actions responding to the blast.
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Shane Green, a retained firefighter at Portland’s fire station, received a commendation for ‘meritorious service’ from the NSW Fire and Rescue Commissioner at the service’s annual award ceremony on May 4, known as St. Florian’s Day or International Firefighters Day.
Mr Green said it was a privilege to be recognised for his role responding to an event that is never far from his, or his wife’s mind.
“What me and Angela went through, it’s changed our life,” he said.
“So it is a great honour to be recognised.”
Shane and Angela Green were out walking on the morning of July 24, 2015, when they heard a “massive” blast.
“It was that big the whole town heard it, and we were thirty metres away,” Mr Green said.
“We ran up the street to where all the smoke was coming from and the victim was on the ground.
“I got Angela to ring Triple 0 while I performed CPR.
“Then the fire brigade turned up a bit later and obviously the defibs [defibrillators] and all that came out.”
Mr Green said he believed his training as a firefighter helped him think on his feet.
“Shane was amazing,” Ms Green said.
“He really took charge and when the fire brigade came he delegated and said what he needed.”
The couple were friends of the Burrows family.
“Being in a small town like Portland, we knew the victim all our lives,” Mr Green said.
“It was pretty horrific.
“Certain smells now, loud noises: nearly every day you think about what happened and it’s been three years.”
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Mr Green was the sole recipient of the Commendation for Meritorious Service at the awards ceremony held at the Novotel in Parramatta.
A civilian received a Commendation for Courageous Service for rescuing a man trapped in a burning car in Cootamundra.
“This year’s recipients exemplify the proud legacy of courageous service that is the hallmark of NSW firefighters,” Commissioner Paul Baxter said.