QUEENSLANDSTATE EMERGENCY SERVICE

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

support the service at a local level in partnership

with regional Queensland Fire and Emergency

Services (QFES) SES staff.

STATE GOVERNMENT

supports the service at a more strategic level that

is dependent on that Local Governments

requirements.

STATEGOVERNMENTLOCALGOVERNMENT

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WOVERVIEWThe Queensland State Emergency Service (SES) is

formed of approximately 6,500 members of which

approximately 5,300 are active i.e. not applicant,

probationary, or reserve.

There are 98 State Government full time employees dedicated to the

Queensland SES. They are responsible for supporting the organisation

across training, equipment, policy, projects, volunteer management,

information technology management, and operations.

Each Local Government contribution is different and dependent on their

individual circumstances. Amongst other support services, Local

Governments provide facilities, management, and maintenance of facilities

and equipment. They coordinate local operations and responses.

Queensland

SES Volunteers

QFES

Staff

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Local

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Queensland SES, Local Governments and State Government partnership

- relies on trusting stakeholder relationships and consultation

- demonstrates and nurtures flexibility, adaptability and initiative

- thrives as a State/Local organisation through receiving State/Local support to service a State/Local community

The Queensland SES is a

partnership of:

STATEGOVERNMENT LOCALGOVERNMENT

MEMBERS SESVA

It benefits from the strengths of each

partner.

As a result each partner needs to be

consulted and in agreement on issues

relating to the Queensland SES.

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Queensland SES Partners:

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Foundation Documents

Act – establishes functions and some

responsibility

Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) with Local Governments –

specific to the unique needs of each

Local Government, including any

contentious issues. They confirm

approved functionality of each Local

Government’s SES Groups. MOUs are

reviewed regularly to adapt to

changing needs i.e. functions may alter

due to changing hazards/risks.

COOPERATION

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Legislation

Part 6 – State Emergency Servicesections of the former Disaster Management Act 2003 were transferred into the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 as an interim solution to the restructure.

A comprehensive review of the legislation is still to be undertaken.

RESPONSIBILITES

Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990

Division 2 Responsibilities of Commissioner

131. The commissioner’s responsibilities for the SES

are —

a. to establish management and support services for the SES; and

b. to develop policies to help the SES perform its functionseffectively and efficiently including, for example, policiesabout training SES members; and

c. to ensure—

i. the local controller of an SES unit performs the

controller’s functions; and

ii. the SES performs its functions safely and efficiently.

132. Membership

1. The SES consists of the persons appointed by the

commissioner as SES members.

2. The commissioner may appoint a person as an SES

member only if satisfied the person has the appropriate

abilities to be an SES member.

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134. Local controller of SES unit

1. The commissioner is to appoint a member of an SES unit as the local controller of the unit.

2. The member appointed as the local controller of an SES unit is to be nominated by the local government for the area for which the unit performs SES functions.

135. Function of local controller

The function of a local controller of an SES unit is to maintain the

operational effectiveness of the unit by ensuring—

a. the unit’s members have the necessary skills to

competently perform their roles within the unit; and

b. the unit’s equipment is maintained in an appropriate

condition; and

c. the unit performs its functions and other activities in a

way that is consistent with departmental or local

government policies about the performance of the functions

and activities.

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HIS

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RYHISTORY

1962 Establishment of the Queensland Civil Defence Organisation.

1974 Cabinet Decision “Queensland Civil Defence Organisation be redesignated the Queensland State Emergency Service and be known by that name”.

1975 Queensland Government passed the State Counter Disaster Organisation Act where “The body called the Queensland State Emergency Service is established pursuant to the repealed Acts and is continued in existence and established under the name State Emergency Service”.

2003 The Disaster Management Act 2003 acknowledge that the SES is established and that functions of Local Governments include ensuring they have a disaster response capability.

2004 Queensland State Emergency Services is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient .

2014 Queensland Fire and Emergency Service Act 1990 is amended, acknowledging the establishment of the the SES.

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PARTNERSHIP

State provides support:

• management of operational responses that exceed Local Government capability

• funding for subsidies

• uniforms and Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE)

• major and minor equipment (gifted) to local

governments – flood boats, generators, chain

saws, etc.

• communications equipment

• training, policy and volunteer management programs

• register vehicles and trailers

• support with retention and recruitment

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LOCALGOVERNMENT

Local Government provides support:

• management of single and multiple local government

operational responses

• approve members and/or equipment movements

(outside of local government area)

• facilities, facility maintenance and insurance, utilities,

and furniture

• some major and minor equipment – vehicles etc

(supported through grants program)

• office equipment, mobile phones, tablets, hardware,

software, IT support, internet services (tablets etc.

also supplied by state government).

• takes ownership of, and maintains operational

equipment

• additional funding

• local training, policy and volunteer management

programs

• local recruitment and retention initiatives

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OPERATIONS

STATEGOVERNMENT

LOCALGOVERNMENT

• Manage local disaster management operations

• Approve member movements (outside of local government area)

• Approve equipment movements (outside of local government area)

• Support the local SES workforce

* SES Units were historically referred to as “Local Government SES Units”

Call upon state assistance via Local Disaster Management Groups (LDMG) or

District Disaster Management Groups (DDMG) when the response required

exceeds the capability of one or more local governments.

Provide assistance when advised by local governments that the required

response exceeds the capability of one or more local governments

When this occurs:

• QFES Regions enable operations in partnership with relevant local

governments

• QFES State Operations Centre (SOC) enables operations across one or

more QFES Regions

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RESPONSE

Other Multiple lead agencies

QFES

Lead agency for Fire events

HealthLead agencyfor health related events

State Emergency Service

Key operational responses:• Storm• Cyclone• Flood• Search and rescue• Agency support

* SES self activates to their core functions

QPS

Lead agency for search, VerticalRescue, RoadCrash Rescue

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Function Activity

Storm Damage Operations

Working at Heights

Temporary Repairs

Chainsaw Operations

Debris Clean Up

Sandbagging

Search Land Search/Urban and Rural/Forensic

Flood Boat Response Flood Boat Rescue/Re-supply/Evacuation/Search

Incident Management AIIMS/ICS

Road Crash Rescue Road Crash Rescue/Extrication

Vertical Rescue Vertical Rescue

Traffic ManagementEmergency Incident Site

Emergency Road Closure/Diversion

Special Rescue

USAR Cat 1

Height Rescue

Entrapment Rescue

Agency Support

Communications

Welfare

Emergency Lighting

Food Handling

Air Observer

Re-supply

Evacuation

Other agency support

Operational Response Functions

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SUPPORT

Website

Facebook

Operations doctrine

Recruitment and retention

initiatives

Reporting, reporting, reporting

Statistical analysis

VIMS: access, permissions,

enhancements, fixes

Office 365: access,

permissions, administration

Equipment: total logistics

Honours and awards

Membership management

Criminal history checks

Blue Cards

Recruitment queries

Support and advice

SES week

Exit surveys

Operations

Deployments

TAMS

Community Engagement

materials management

Protocol

Charter

MOAs

Key messages

Code of conduct

Volunteer Consultative

Committee (VCC)

SES Structure: establishment,

amalgamation and closure

SES STATE OFFICE SUPPORT

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MEMBERS

Brisbane 3 22 1,240 119,200

Central 14 69 980 58,100

Far Northern 19 53 960 54,600

North Coast 7 47 830 82,600

Northern 16 40 670 43,000

South Eastern 5 25 880 78,300

South Western 11 41 640 48,900

TOTAL 75 297 6,200 484,700

* Approx. 37% female and 63% male

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RESOURCES

21 89 63

57 98 136

25 64 65

41 84 115

32 43 48

23 59 59

43 66 82

242 503 568

CAPABILITY

Search

Road crash rescue

Flood boat operations

Vertical rescue

Traffic management

Storm damage operations

Incident management

Group functional classification

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SES MEMBERSHIP

➢ 5,300 active➢ 140 applicants➢ 570 probationaries➢ 290 reserve

SES GROUPS: 297

LGAs: 76

SES UNITS: 75

SES REGIONS: 7

We know what we have, where we have it, what we need and where we need it.

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FUNCTION – Storm Damage Operations:

Level 1: Red

1 team trained

Level 2: Green

2 teams trained

Level 3: Blue

3 teams trained

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FUNCTION – Flood Boat Operations:

Level 1: Red

1 team trained

Level 2: Green

2 teams trained

Level 3: Blue

3 teams trained

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FUNCTION – Search Operations:

Level 1: Red

1 team trained

Level 2: Green

2 teams trained

Level 3: Blue

3 teams trained

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FUNCTION – Incident Management:

Level 1: Red

1 team trained

Level 2: Green

2 teams trained

Level 3: Blue

3 teams trained

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FUNCTION – Road Crash Rescue:

Level 1: Red

1 team trained

Level 2: Green

2 teams trained

Level 3: Blue

3 teams trained

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FUNCTION – Vertical Rescue:

Level 1: Red

1 team trained

Level 2: Green

2 teams trained

Level 3: Blue

3 teams trained

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FUNCTION – Traffic Management:

Level 1: Red

1 team trained

Level 2: Green

2 teams trained

Level 3: Blue

3 teams trained

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QUESTIONS?