State Emergency Service

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Western Australia SES OKA 4WD vehicle
Western Australia SES OKA 4WD vehicle
Victorian SES volunteers working to free the victim of a car crash
Victorian SES volunteers working to free the victim of a car crash

A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared (natural or otherwise) disasters.

The SES began in Australia in 1955, and was originally known as the Civil Defence Service. It was formed as a precaution to any potential attacks on Australian soil. The name was changed to SES during the 1970s, to reflect a change of emphasis into providing emergency help related to floods, storms and other natural emergencies. Every state and territory in Australia has its own State (or Territory) Emergency Service, and there are 43,000 volunteers spread across the country. Each state or territory is broken into regions, then units, and finally groups.

Each state or territory has its own particular process for the activation of a unit, but the majority of operational members (those who have completed a probationary period and have attained minimum skills) are notified of a callout via pager.

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[edit] Functions of the SES

The SES provides assistance to local communities in times of need. Because every community is different, every SES Unit has a slightly different set of roles and activities. Depending on the needs of the local community, a Unit may perform some or all of these roles:

Function Description
Agency Support (Operational) Supporting other Emergency Services during incidents with lighting, human resources, marine transport, and other services.
Agency Support (Training) Supporting other Emergency Services, agencies, and community organisations with member participation, resources, and welfare.
Air Observation Assisting in searches over land and sea from both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Crowd and/or Traffic Control Assisting police and ambulance at public events like ANZAC Day in this capacity. Also assisting police with road closures during events like flooding and New Year celebrations.
Emergency services liaison Working with representatives of other emergency services during emergencies.
Evacuation Centre Management Establishing and running temporary evacuation centres.
Fire Support & Training Assisting the police and the rural and metropolitan fire services with road closures, evacuations, delivery of welfare during major fires, and some training like First Aid and Chainsaw Operations.
First Aid Aiding members of the public requiring basic medical aid and assisting ambulance officers and members of St. John Ambulance of Australia with triage and mass casualty situations
Flood and storm preparation and response Making structures safe and protecting property after floods and storms, helping people prepare for floods and storms and using specialised equipment like flood boats and chainsaws. For information on the new FloodSmart program being piloted in Benalla, Victoria, go to Floodsmart
General rescue procedures and skills Working safely to remove people from dangerous situations
Land Search Searching for missing persons usually in rural areas but also in suburban areas
Management Helping the Unit to run smoothly
Marine Rescue Working with the Coast Guard and other marine organizations in assisting boats in distress
Media, public relations and community education Working with the media and the public to communicate safety messages and warnings and to promote the SES to the community
Mines Rescue Some SES units have specific training to allow them to rescue trapped persons from inside collapsed mines
Road-crash rescue Rescuing people from crashed vehicles
Training coordination Helping to plan and carry out the training in a Unit
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) extending basic rescue techniques to situations such as collapsed or unstable structures, using specialised equipment such as after bombs or explosions
Vertical rescue Rescuing people from heights and depths such as cliffs or ravines
Tsunami & earthquake response Responding to and managing tsunami and earthquake events
Welfare Providing and administrating temporary field bases for activations, including meals, peer support, teas & coffees etc.

[edit] Funding

In addition to what funds are provided by legislation to the SES by state and local governments, SES groups also supplement their financial resources with donations made by individuals and businesses. These donations typically contribute to a group's equipment such as vehicles and other equipment, or to improvements of the SES group's facilities such as buildings or other property improvements.

The SES raises most of its donations from individuals via stalls set up at local events (eg. school fetes or other community-based events).

[edit] Contacting the SES

The telephone number for all SES units is 132 500, except in Tasmania and Northern Territory, where there is no state-wide telephone number.

Dial Triple-zero (000) if it is a life threatening emergency.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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[edit] External links