Special fund set up for treatment of police officers injured in Melbourne ... - ABC Online

Updated January 10, 2014 12:42:30

Victoria Police and the Police Association have set up a special fund to raise money for the three police officers who were seriously injured in an explosion in Melbourne last weekend.

Constables Varli Baker and Emma Quick and Senior Sergeant Tony Scully suffered life-threatening burns when an LPG gas bottle exploded when they went to check on a man in an apartment at Middle Park.

Contributions to the Tony, Emma and Varli fund can be made at BankVic and police and the police union have kicked off the fund with contributions of $20,000.

This has been a wakeup call reminder that policing is an enormously dangerous profession.

Ken Lay, Victoria Police Chief Commission

Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay says the courageous members have a long fight ahead of them.

"They're facing their challenges with an enormous amount of determination and I feel nothing but a sense of pride to be their CEO," he said.

"They've got a lifelong fight, it's not just going to be difficult, it's going to be expensive and hopefully what we have done will help ease a bit of that burden."

Mr Lay says both the Police Association and Victoria Police have had a huge number of calls from the public looking for a way to help the injured

officers.

"I'm hoping this fund will be a way that the community sees that they can support the three members," he said.

"This has been a wakeup call reminder that policing is an enormously dangerous profession."

Topics: police, emergency-incidents, disasters-and-accidents, middle-park-3206

First posted January 10, 2014 12:04:07