When the chips are down in an emergency everyone wants to know there's someone who'll be there to help.
This is what volunteer SES members provide; in their own time and without pay.
Chatting to some of Mandurah's volunteers on Tuesday, there was an overwhelming sense of pride in what they do.
Despite the long hours and the hardships, being the people the community can turn to in a crisis is what they feel makes it all worthwhile.
Rescuer Paul Gardner said volunteering had always been in his blood.
It all started back in the 1970s when he joined the boy scouts, eventually becoming a scout leader. It was one of his cubs who suggested he join the SES.
You'll love it, you get to play with all your toys and it's rewarding.
"He told me, 'You'll love it, you get to play with all your toys and it's rewarding'. He was right," Mr Gardner said.
"The scouts motto is 'Be prepared' and the SES motto is 'We serve'. The two really go hand-in-hand. 'Be prepared' is my life's motto really. This station is always ready to go out and fix any house in Mandurah at a moment's notice. We're always prepared."
Mr Gardner said for anyone thinking of joining, "Everyone gets something out of it. We're like big kids having fun for a purpose".
But alongside the camaraderie and community spirit, there are tough aspects of the role, as one of Mandurah's deputy managers Phil Rance recalled.
He remembered the call-out that had the biggest impact on him; the recovery of an 18-month-old girl who had fallen down a bore hole on her parent's property.
We had to tunnel through to get to her. I pulled her out and passed her to my colleagues who rushed her out.
"I was one of three guys down the hole. We had to tunnel through to get to her. I pulled her out and passed her to my colleagues who rushed her out. And then I thought, 'Okay, I'm down this five-metre hole by myself. How am I going to get out? When I finally made it out everyone else had already left for the hospital.
"I found out the little girl was dead; she'd swallowed a mouthful of sand and didn't make it," Mr Rance said, his voice filled with emotion.
It took him many years to understand the impact this had. When offering support to the widow of one of his fellow members he suddenly realised he needed help too and turned to a counselor for support.
These are just some of the issues facing volunteers in the frontlines.
But despite this, the sense of fulfilment and purpose outweighs the downside according to those the Mail spoke to.
"I like helping the community," Mr Rance said. "It's good to feel needed."
It's good to feel needed.
Whether it be physical or emotional pressures, these men and women go to incredible lengths to help others.
May 17-23 is National Volunteers Week, where the almost six million Aussies who choose to make a difference in their communities as volunteers are recognised for their efforts.
Mandurah's SES volunteers are just one of those groups of people.
