MBRC’s military reservists answer the call of duty
Published 11 May 2020
From bushfires to floods and a viral disease, no one could have imagined the string of disasters that have kickstarted 2020.
Particularly 21-year-old Army Reservist Jack Petersen, who has been called up to respond to all three.
He’s cleared fire trails in Singleton, repaired flood damaged roads in Glen Innes and most recently was deployed to the remote town of Windorah to help police perform COVID-19 border checks.
Jack is one of 16 reservists currently working at Moreton Bay Regional Council who’ve been deployed around the country in recent months.
He says it’s an experience that will stay with him forever and something he’ll always be proud to have been a part of.
“It’s very much a once in a lifetime experience,” he said.
“I hope we stop burning and stop flooding and stop having pandemics, but it’s something I can tell my family, friends and kids about.
“I’m a long way off that but when they ask me ‘what did you do in 2020?’, I can say: ‘I was out the door helping secure Queensland and protecting small communities from fire and flood.
“We only get 80-odd years on the planet and I want to live my life term with no regrets. That’s why it’s been so important that Council is so supportive and how easy it made everything.
“I can leave on short notice and everyone’s really interested when I get back. I think I gave Council three days’ notice on one of my deployments - the reserves called me up on Thursday and I was off on Sunday.”
CEO Greg Chemello said Council strived to empower its employees to fulfil themselves with community service wherever possible.
“Jack is an outstanding example of the passionate and enthusiastic staff we have here at Moreton Bay Regional Council,” he said.
“Our staff take a strong sense of pride in representing and serving the community so it’s vitally important as an organisation that we give them every chance to fulfil those opportunities when they arise.
“Work life balance is something we want to achieve not only in our organisation but for every ratepayer in Moreton Bay Region and the broader community.”
Jack is a third-generation military servant after his two grandfathers fought for the country and more recently his father and uncle served during peacetime.