Royal decoration for Kees de Vries
For his years of voluntary service with the Zoetermeer Rescue Brigade, Kees de Vries was appointed Member in the Order of Orange Nassau on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Mr. De Vries received the royal decoration from Mayor Michel Bezuijen.
From the year 2000 until the end of 2024, Mr. De Vries has been an indispensable force with the Zoetermeer Rescue Brigade.
Where others were getting ready to go out on the water for a rescue, he made sure everything on shore was perfectly taken care of. For years he was the point of contact for maintenance of the heating system and fire extinguishers. He maintained contact with various parties for the clubhouse and guard station. Footpaths and the path to the boats he cleared of obstacles so that the lifeboat was ready to go out 24/7. Whether that was for an incident on the Noord Aa or at a deployment for the National Rescue Fleet somewhere in the Netherlands.
"Big or small jobs, in and around the clubhouse, Kees de Vries was always involved," spoke Mayor Bezuijen, "And that not once, not occasionally, but week in, week out, for as many as 24 years. Without dedicated people like Mr. De Vries, the Rescue Brigade cannot do their important work."
