An evening of clear air and bright sunlight couldn't be much further from the conditions members of Canberra's emergency services, and parks and conservation service, battled through only weeks ago.
Monday evening, when the city stopped to thank the people who fought fires and protected homes after storms, had little trace of what Chief Minister Andrew Barr called the summer the ACT will never forget.
He named members of the Emergency Services Agency and ACT Parks and Conservation the 2020 Canberra citizens of the year for their work responding to the disasters that hit the territory and surrounding regions.
Chiefs of the ACT's Ambulance Service, Fire and Rescue, Parks and Conservation, Rural Fire Service, State Emergency Service and Emergency Services Agency collected the awards on behalf of their members.
ACT Emergency Services Agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan, speaking at the ceremony at John Dunmore Lang Place, Parkes, said the service's members came in every day working hard to keep Canberra safe.
She sent a "shout out" to emergency services volunteers.
"We know they have their day job, their families, as well as their own properties for those who are rural landholders to protect as well as the volunteering hours which are countless in contributing to the capability of our community," Commissioner Whelan said.
She also thanked employers for allowing volunteers time away from work as fires spread through the region and storms hit the ACT.
The award's citation reads: "Canberrans are proud of the bravery and commitment shown by the members in serving our community."
The collective award recognises the effort and cooperation of crews during the bushfires, both interstate on the NSW South Coast and in the ACT where the Beard and Orroral Valley fires spread and threatened the territory.
The Orroral Valley fire, which started on January 27, burnt more than a third of the ACT and 83 per cent of the Namadgi National Park.
A hailstorm on January 20 belted parts of Canberra with large hailstones and brought on 2300 call-outs for help.
