The Adelaide Football Club will honour the work of Emergency Services personnel at its match against West Coast at Adelaide Oval this Saturday and, ahead of the match, we spoke to three avid Crows fans, who are also passionate about the important work they do to help the community.

Superintendent Scott Denny, Officer in Charge Eastern District, has managed some of the state’s biggest emergencies.

In 2020, he was part of the team that led SA’s Covid response, as the officer responsible for the massive task of managing the state’s border closures.

Most recently, Superintendent Denny coordinated the River Murray flood emergency which required immense dedication from Police and other Emergency Services to manage the biggest floods the region had seen since 1956.

Now in his 30^th year with the South Australian Police, Superintendent Denny has worked in regional and remote areas for a lot of his career, covering varied challenges across most of the state.

“It was a childhood dream of mine to be part of the police and it’s a really rewarding career,” he said.

“Working in Emergency Services is fantastic in terms of what you can give back to the community. It’s a privilege to be able to keep the community safe.

“I’ve loved being able to work across different parts of SA, and I’ve just recently moved to the metro area where I’m looking forward to the challenge of working at lots of big events, including many at Adelaide Oval.”

Senior Firefighter with the CFS Willunga Brigade, Beth Pfeiffer, shares Superintendent Denny’s pride for the role she plays in the community.

“Being able to give back to the community when they need it, and having the community know there are people there to help, is what I love most about it,” Pfeiffer said.

The 22-year-old joined the CFS in 2012 as a cadet after watching her grandpa, father and brother, all part of the CFS – and all Crows fans – going out to help the community from a young age.

“I joined when I was 12 and at 16 I became a firefighter and went to my first fire,” she said.

“One of my strongest memories is from 2018 when I responded to my first fire with Dad, it was two years before we got to respond together.

“It’s definitely a second family, everyone has your back. It’s a chance to meet new people and there’s a real sense of belonging.

“It’s also a chance to learn new skills as its more than just firefighting, you attend car crashes, learn first aid and how to use radios, the skills you learn can be used in other parts of life.”

Fellow Crows fan Allan Coster joined the SES in 2015 after a career in the wine industry in OHS and training of employees.

As Unit Manager of the Noarlunga Unit for the past eight years, he spends much of his time working on new initiatives with SES headquarters around emergency response to major events and the training of volunteers.

“My daughter is a member in the South East region and she challenged me to do it,” Coster said.

“I wasn’t sure about it but in 2015 we had a major power outage and I was caught in the middle of it with a crew and I was hooked after that.

“There’s been lots of highlights. Last year when the River Murray was at its peak I was division South Commander for two stints. It was challenging, we worked closely with the CFS and had people assisting from all over Australia which we tasked each day, it was a great experience.

“I’d encourage people to give it a try. I wasn’t sure initially, it takes time to absorb what’s going on around you, and it takes about a year to get into the specialist fields but it’s very rewarding.”

The Emergency Services Match at Adelaide Oval provides an opportunity to thank South Australian volunteers and employees from SAPOL, SA Metropolitan Fire Service, SA Country Fire Service, State Emergency Services and South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission, as well as raise awareness of the important work they do.

At the match this Saturday there will be all-ages activations around the ground, where footy fans can speak to career staff and volunteers about their agencies and what it’s like to be on the ground or in strategic operations during bushfires, floods, police response and many other duties.

At the core of establishing a dedicated match for emergency services personnel was the desire to thank and promote the exceptional work of emergency services agencies and recognize their positive impacts on our community.