Mr Wood was among 100 NSW firefighters honoured at a ceremony in Sydney on Sunday, for St Florian’s Day.
Also known as International Firefighter’s Day, it is commemorated annually on May 4.
It allows both FRNSW and the NSW Rural Fire Service to formally acknowledge firefighters who have gone ‘above and beyond’ normal duties.
Mr Wood - who is the Deniliquin Training Centre manager - was the only local firefighter recognised this year, across both fire organisations.
He said it was a “privilege” to attend the ceremony, and to be recognised.
“It was an inspiring day at the St Florian’s Day Awards Ceremony, where over 100 dedicated members were formally recognised for their extraordinary actions - from preventing large-scale disasters to saving lives in perilous conditions.
“I am deeply honoured to have received the Commissioner’s Award for Excellence from Fire + Rescue NSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell AFSM, alongside others from the education and training directorate.
“I am truly fortunate to be part of such an exceptional team, working closely together to achieve incredible results for our firefighters and the community we serve.”
The commendation highlighted the role of Mr Wood and his colleagues in supporting the country’s firefighters in their duties.
“The Regional Training Team and management collaborate to deliver efficient initial training to over 400 on-call firefighters annually through 37 regional recruit firefighter programs across five locations, supported by training centre officers,” the citation read.
“Additionally, 15 regional instructors maintain the operational capability of more than 3500 firefighters at 300 on-call stations, many in remote areas, requiring extensive planning to co-ordinate training priorities, participants, resources and logistics.”
18°C