At the SES State Awards late last year, Mr Holland was presented his second clasp for his 35 years of service with his military time included.

Mandurah SES Unit Manager Chris Stickland said Mr Holland was an asset for the service.

“People like John are the backbone of the volunteer SES service,” he said.

“John has worked tirelessly for the SES and he has well and truly deserved the award.”

Mr Holland’s volunteering began in 1962 when he followed his brother-in-law into joining the army where he served as an infantryman until his discharge in 1974.

From there, he turned his hand to volunteer fire fighting in 1983 and spent nearly 10 years driving his team around the state.

Upon a move to Mandurah in 1987, Mr Holland decided to join the Mandurah SES unit and now, 35 years later, still loves the area and being a part of the SES team.

“I am in the SES office three days a week and won’t be stopping anytime soon,” Mr Holland said. Some of his fond volunteering memories include swapping milk bottles for beer in his infantry days and being able to raise money for a number of charities.

But there is one memory that stands out for Mr Holland.

Mr Holland spent two weeks in hospital and two years in a neck brace due to a fractured neck.

He had put his volunteering skills to the test when he attempted to retrieve a child’s toy stuck in a tree in Kambalda but accidentally fell.

Despite his injuries during his volunteering years Mr Holland is still the first to put his hand up.

“He is the first to volunteer and the last to go home; he is an ambassador for the service and leads by example,” Mr Stickland said.

And while dedicating his time to volunteering, Mr Holland still finds time to do the things he loves, including ballroom dancing.

“I love going to dancing once a week, it’s a nice change from the SES,” he said.