Plenty Valley FM would like to warmly congratulate Fiona Macken from Diamond Creek CFA on receiving the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) as part of the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. Each year, we hold an outside broadcast at Diamond Creek CFA’s Open Day, led by Fiona and her team.
Fiona joined the CFA as a volunteer firefighter in 2007 said her training as an Emergency Medical Technician in America drew her to volunteering in Australia.
“When I moved to Australia, I joined SES and then when I moved to where I live now, I joined CFA,” Fiona said.
“I became an operational member in 2008 which was not long before the Black Saturday 2009 fires which impacted areas very close to where I live. From that experience I realised my passion for working with the community.”
Following her love of community, Fiona worked casually for CFA for almost 10 years as a community engagement facilitator before being becoming Coordinator of the Community Based Bush fire Management program – a program of work that helped shape the community-facing aspects of the flagship Victorian Government Safer Together initiative.
“It was really rewarding to be able to build a community-based program from the ground up,” Fiona said.
In 2022, Fiona took on one of the most ambitious projects in CFA’s recent history: becoming the Program Manager for CFA’s Fire Medical Response (FMR) initiative, delivered in partnership with Ambulance Victoria.
The program enables trained CFA volunteers to provide basic life support to patients during select Triple Zero medical emergencies, in support of Ambulance Victoria. Fifty CFA brigades have now signed up to participate in FMR which will improve outcomes for patients experiencing sudden cardiac arrest in their respective communities.
Fiona’s operational experience spans 18 years, during which she has held multiple leadership roles including 2nd, 3rd and 4th Lieutenant at the Diamond Creek Fire Brigade.
“I was the first female lieutenant in the brigade, and I was incredibly proud a few years later when we had three out of four lieutenant positions held by women”.
In 2018 Fiona was the inaugural recipient of the Spirit of CFA Award for Excellence in Community Engagement, recognising her outstanding contribution to both CFA and the Victorian community.
Fiona said she is extremely humbled to be receiving the honour of an Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM).
“I am very humbled and grateful to be receiving the honour,” she said.
“I couldn’t have achieved what I have without the support of the most amazing teams of people I have been surrounded by during my time in CFA, all of whom are hardworking and innovative. This includes my fellow professional CFA colleagues who put in so much work behind the scenes, I thank them for their contributions and wish they could all be recognised too.”
Congratulations Fiona and we look forward to again participating in the Diamond Creek CFA Open Day on Sunday 15th November.