And often such a loss is accompanied by feelings of shock, anger, even violation if trespass is involved.

How much more must emotions be heightened when the crime impacts on volunteers who give up their time to help others in emergencies?

The Wodonga SES unit attends scenes of car accidents and storm damage, its members leaving whatever they were doing - work, sport, a quiet evening with the family - to turn up when called.

Like our fire brigades both sides of the border, SES volunteers don't shut down for public holidays or have rostered days off.

But to continue their good work, they need the right tools for the job.

So how disappointing for the Wodonga unit to lose $20,000 worth of equipment through an overnight burglary.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The list of stolen items is significant, including chainsaws, drills, saws, grinder, batteries, portable lighting and the hydraulic rescue equipment known as the jaws of life.

All things you might need to help rescue a trapped motorist or remove a fallen tree branch.

These incidents often take place at night, but the volunteers turn out regardless.

It's a far more selfless and public-spirited use of their time than that shown by the person or persons unknown who broke into the SES building, damaging the back door for good measure.

Thankfully the SES community helps each other out, with the Tallangatta unit able to lend Wodonga a spare truck and outlying groups ready to respond as they can.

But deputy controller operations Cam O'Brien admitted there would be unwanted consequences from the theft, with the Wodonga unit less able to respond to every call-out, although the most serious would still be covered.

It's hard enough being an emergency services volunteer fronting up to a crisis without being deprived of the means to do so properly.

Whoever's responsible for this latest theft might want to consider that if they happen to need SES help one day.

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