Skip to content

Michael Kovacs - Westfield Local Heroes 2020

Braving extreme danger

NSW Rural Fire Service
Trustworthy. Passionate. Dedicated.

Volunteer firefighter Michael Kovacs joined the NSW Rural Fire Service 30 years ago when he was 14.

A brave and respected leader, Michael was Captain of the Londonderry RFS for 10 years, and his peers have now voted him Deputy Group Captain and assists in coordination and overseeing the management of 6 brigades.

Michael volunteers between 20 and 30 hours a week while continuing to serve as an NSW police officer.

Michael is much admired by his colleagues and feels great pride about being able to help people in their time of need, not only in NSW but also in emergencies in other states.

During the recent bushfire emergency, Michael started fighting fires in August 2019 and did not stop until the end of January.

He and his strike teams put themselves in extreme danger to directly save people and properties. They were trapped by intense fire on more than one occasion.

"I personally dragged residents out of burning buildings and escorted them through fire to get them to safety," Michael says.

"It’s a great pride in serving the communities in their time of need and assisting them to return to some form of normality".

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. The NSW Rural Fire Service will use its grant to buy a trailer and training equipment.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here

The Body Shop: 20% off Easter Weekend

The hunt is over. Beauty gifts for a Happy Easter.​ Hop to it. Limited time only.

Read more

Win 1 of 10 family trips to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Get ready for your chance to WIN 1 of 10 family holidays to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort in California with Flight Centre!

Read more

You may also like

Johnny Bigg: For The Big & Tall Guy: Smarten up

Suit up and look smart for any occasion.

Read more

R.M.Williams: Lessons in denim

Explore versatile silhouettes in premium cotton fabrications, crafted to hold up on life's journey - and look good while doing it.

Read more

We acknowledge the Darug people as the Traditional Owners of the land we gather on today and pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and their Elders past and present.

Scentre Group operates its Westfield Living Centre portfolio with a responsible business mindset across the four pillars of community, people, environment and economic performance. More information can be found in our 2022 Responsible Business Report.

© All rights reserved Scentre Group 2024