CFS members awarded top honour in Australia Day Honours List
Two SA Country Fire Service (CFS) members have been awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) as part of the Australia Day 2026 Honours List.
Bradbury CFS volunteer Martin Carney and Naracoorte CFS volunteer and staff member John Probert were awarded in honour of their distinguished service as members the CFS.
The AFSM is a peer-nominated medal awarded by the Governor General to both paid and volunteer members.
John Probert
Mr Probert said he was humbled to receive the award and that it had been a privilege to work alongside CFS volunteers across his more than 45 years of service with the CFS and State Emergency Service (SES).
“In emergency management, we see the worst of times, but we see the best in people as they come forward to help,” Mr Probert said.
“It's been a huge privilege to be able to work with people whose hearts are in the right place and who are there for the right reasons.
“I'm just enormously proud of being a part of the CFS and being part of the bigger team.”
Since his start as an SES volunteer in Mount Gambier in 1981 and as a CFS staff member in 1999, Mr Probert has volunteered and worked extensively across the state as a Level 3 Incident Controller, State Duty Officer, and Regional Commander.
Throughout his career, Mr Probert has led responses to major incidents including the Blackford fire, Coles fire, and the Kangaroo Island fires.
This leadership included supporting crews and communities during large-scale firefighting efforts and traumatic events.
Since 2022, Mr Probert has served as the CFS industry project officer, implementing legislative reforms for industry brigades and working closely with the forestry industry in the Lower South East.
He is well-known for his leadership in frontline operations, commitment to building capability, and his enduring support for volunteers.
Martin Carney
Mr Carney has served the CFS for more than 45 years since joining Bradbury CFS in 1980.
Soon after joining, Mr Carney was appointed as a training officer and later as brigade captain.
Drawing on his background in risk management, Mr Carney has developed numerous comprehensive training and preparedness programs for his brigade and community.
“People join the CFS for a number of reasons, to learn new skills, the camaraderie – for me it was the community service aspect,” Mr Carney said.
“That service also extends into supporting your neighbours, outside of when you're at a job, who may not know how to prepare for a fire.
“I'm happy that I can help and equip them with important knowledge."
Mr Carney later served with the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission as a volunteer support officer and as the state manager of Emergency Services for Red Cross SA which saw him lead major deployments to disasters such as Cyclone Larry, the Queensland floods, and Victoria’s Black Saturday fires.
Mr Carney was also an early and active supporter of women in operational firefighting roles.
His contributions to community safety through leadership, innovation in volunteer training, and commitment to resilience and inclusion are widely respected.