Dawn — epitome of heroism

A DANDENONG North carer who went above and beyond the call of duty has been honoured with an Ambulance Victoria Community Hero award.
It was in March this year that Dawn Fredericks’ bravery shone through following a horror crash in Hallam.
On Friday, she was held up as the epitome of what the awards are all about when she ignored her own injuries and worked with emergency crews to ensure the safety of 30 children with special needs from Emerson School in Dandenong travelling on the school bus.
The children were flung from their seats and as the cabin filled with smoke, Dawn kicked out the rear window to get the children out safely.
Nominating paramedic David Kervin said Dawn was incredibly cool, calm and collected. He said she was level-headed and reassured the children, ignoring her own injuries.
Health Minister David Davis mentioned Dawn in his opening speech, describing her as a true hero who showed “incredible courage” that day.
Dawn said some of the children were traumatised by the crash and that she was “privileged and honoured” to have received the award.