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The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) is a volunteer based organisation responding to emergencies and working to ensure the safety of communities around Victoria. Each State and territory of Australia has its own independent State Emergency Service (SES),VICSES is only one of these services spread across Australia. At times of great need or catastrophic disaster, it is common that assistance be sought from other states.

The Victoria State Emergency Service is the lead agency when responding to floods, storms, Tsunami and earthquakes as well as operating the largest network of road crash rescue units in Australia and one of the largest in the world.

Victoria State Emergency Service also provides assistance to other emergency services such as Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, The Country Fire Authority (CFA) and to municipal councils in planning and auditing their emergency management plans.

There are more than 5600 (43,000 nation-wide) committed and dedicated volunteers around the state who provide these services 24 hours a day, seven days a week and every day of the year in Victoria.

Contacting the SES
The telephone number for all SES units is 132 500, except in the Northern Territory, where there is no state-wide telephone number. However, in a life-threatening emergency, Triple-zero (000) should be contacted instead.

Further information is available by calling the VICSES Flood and Storm Infomation Line on 1300 VICSES (1300 842 737) Or the VICSES website

History
From a Civil Defense to a State Emergency Service

Civil Defence Era
The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) started in 1950 as the Victoria Civil Defence Organisation.

The organisation was originally established to act as a volunteer based civil defence agency that could be quickly activated in the event of war. In the 1960s this role was enhanced to include management of peacetime disasters.

In the 1970s, the Commonwealth also shifted its focus from civil defence to more general disaster management.

In 1972, legislation formally confirming the Victoria Civil Defence Organisation’s power was passed and the Victorian Headquarters established in 1973.

State Emgergency Service Era
The Victoria Civil Defence Organisation was renamed the Victoria State Emergency Service in 1975 in conformity of other states. The formal re-establishment of VICSES as a general emergency management agency was completed with the passage of the Victoria State Emergency Service Act 1981.

During 1979, the Ministry for Police and Emergency Services was created. Its branches included Victoria Police (VICPOL), Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB), the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES).

To reinforce the important role the VICSES plays today not only in the State’s emergency management arrangements, but in the specific role it plays in keeping Victorians safe, the VICSES was re-established under the Victoria State Emergency Service Act 2005 as a Statutory Authority on 1 November 2005.

This structure aligns the VICSES more closely with that of other Victorian emergency service organisations, providing it with new opportunities to form closer partnerships. The current VICSES network is divided into six regions, each with its own staff. Throughout Victoria there are more than 5600 VICSES volunteers based at 150 municipal VICSES Units.

Organisation
VICSES has a clear command and organisation structure,with the whole Service being governed by a board of directors and CEO who are answerable to the Victorian Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

State Headquarters
In an operational viewpoint VICSES state wide is overseen by Victorian Headquarters (VHQ) VHQ co-ordinates state wide training and emergency responses to large scale or multi-region events, VHQ also is responsible for many of the major projects and programs VICSES run.

Region Headquarters
Victoria is divided into six VICSES regions each with its own Regional Headquarters (RHQ) RHQ's are responsible for co-ordination the efforts between individual units and VHQ, also running regional specific training programs plus many administration tasks.

UNITS
There are 150 units spread throughout Victoria each has its area of responsibly. units are completely volunteer operated, with the ultimate responsibly for the efficient operation and administration of a unit lying with the Unit Controller The Controller is appointed for a fixed term by VHQ. Bellow the Unit Controller are the Deputy Controllers commonly there are two or three appointed by the Controller, each with a specific area of responsibly. Usually these are: Deputy Controller - Training Deputy Controller - Operations Deputy Controller - Administration

Below the Controller and Deputy Controllers are Section Leaders

Section Leaders (SL's) take on even more specific areas of responcibility and are usualy tasked to a particualr Deputy Controller for example in the Deputy Controller - Training area there could be: SL- Unit Training SL- Region Training SL- Training Resources

And finally there is the very core of VICSES, the Members. Each level is as important as the others, with out one all would fail.

Flood
When flooding occurs, it is SES volunteers who help relocate stranded people; evacuate stock to safe areas and sandbag to protect property where appropriate.

Storms
When storms occur, SES volunteers are quickly on the scene making temporary repairs to ensure that buildings are secure until owners can arrange for permanent repairs.

Earthquake
In the event of earthquake, it is possible that every emergency service may be involved - the SES is responsible for controlling the total response.

Search & Rescue
Highly trained and well equipped volunteers are often involved in assisting the Victoria Police with search & rescue operations on land and inland waters, vertical rescues, bush and snow searches.

Support and Relief Roles
SES provides support to the Victoria Police and other Emergency Services as required. The SES co-ordinate the activities of other relief agencies when required such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army. It is a proud matter of record that SES volunteers have saved the lives and property of countless Victorians.

Road Accident Rescue


In some outer Melbourne Metropolitan Suburbs and most country areas of Victoria, SES volunteers rescue trapped road accident victims, thus reducing pain and suffering. The SES is the largest provider of road accident rescue services in Victoria. Of the 125+ road rescue units in Victoria, the SES have 101 Units which are equipped and accredited for road accident rescue work. The CFA, MFES and several other rescue groups have the remaining accredited road accident rescue units. It's people like the SES that have to pick up the pieces. In Victoria, each road accident rescue unit is responsible for a given area of responsibility but operates using a nearest available responder method. Each unit has a system in place so that the nearest backup unit can be called upon for more equipment or resources. Victoria Police are the control authority for all road accidents in Victoria.

A road accident rescue unit must be accredited by the Combined Emergency Services Committee. The road accident rescue unit must also pass certain requirements before it is accredited. Requirements include accredited rescuers that can respond in a designated timeframe and be competent in the use of rescue techniques and hydraulic rescue tools. The SES conduct road accident rescue competitions between the Units and Regions to improve our skills and pass on our ideas between rescue units. We regularly compete in National RAR Competitions and have achieved significant placings having come first and second in various events.

Road Accident Facts
The SES attended over 1200 road accident rescue calls during 2010.

The road toll for 2010 was 194. The highest ever road toll was 1061 dead in 1970.

The SES started the Operation Coffee Break scheme in Victoria and now operate 65 sites during holiday periods to help prevent driver fatigue.

All SES rescuers attending road accidents are all volunteers. They are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and do not get paid.

An SES Unit will have rescue vehicle(s) responding to an accident within a maximum of eight minutes from callout and in country areas within a maximum twenty minutes.

A single hydraulic rescue tool can cost upwards of $10,000.

Communications
Most SES Volunteers are issued an EAS (Emergency Alerting System) Pager These pagers allow Emergency, Non-Emergency and Administration messages to be sent to members either individually or by groups of people. Units are dispatched based on various factors including the time of day, location and type of incident. Although each Unit has a primary response zone, other neighboring Units or specific resources may be responded as support to the primary response. This is especially the case where specialist skills or equipment are needed, such as for road accident rescue or very large searches. When the emergency dispatcher is notified of an incident, he or she sends an Emergency-type message to volunteers via EAS Pager. When this is received by the Unit members, members respond to their station and from there will "turn out" Rescue resources. While these calls usually come from SES Dispatch as a result of a call to 132 500, Units or resources may also be responded by other dispatch agencies such as D24 (Victoria Police dispatch) or at the request of incident controllers. Other emergency service providers such as Ambulance Victoria and the CFA may also request that SES units be responded to an incident.

Rescue Vehicles
The SES has about 400 rescue vehicles located throughout Victoria. These vehicles respond to a wide variety of emergencies and therefore vary in design and size. Vehicles can commonly be identified by distinctive their white and bright orange colour schemes and the blue and red light beacons. Most SES Units will have at least two vehicles. A rescue vehicle and a crew transport vehicle, usually a four wheel drive. Units that perform road accident rescue will usually have another rescue vehicle as well. Some units that have a lot of storm and flood damage work may have up to four rescue trucks for those busy times.

General Purpose Rescue Truck (GP)


As part of the SES vehicle issue program, the SES designed a general purpose rescue truck that suitable for a wide range of emergencies. The cabin is based around a six seater cabin truck with dual rear wheels. The storage area contains many cabinets with roller doors and internal lighting. The GP truck is fitted with a 13kva PTO generator, a telescopic lighting mast with 3000 watts of lighting, an air compressor, full radio communications setup and the standard lights and sirens kit. The cabinets can hold a large amount of equipment. Most units add extra shelves and fix brackets to mount their own equipment. A suggested equipment layout is also provided. The GP truck design has been through several revisions and is constantly being improved.

Mobile Forward Command Vehicles (FOV)


All Units have some form of radio communications facility at their headquarters. Sometimes a command post is required in the field with radio communications support. A mobile forward operations vehicle is one that can drive to a given location and become the forward command post complete with radio and command facilities. The FOV will have all radio communications systems built in, a mobile telephone and fax system, generators for lighting and power requirements, desks and white boards for planning, and basic welfare equipment.

Four Wheel Drive Vehicles (4WD)
Most of our emergencies do not happen on made roads or in nice conditions. We may require a four wheel drive vehicle to transport crews into remote bushland or through flood waters to reach the emergency. The majority of four wheel drive vehicles in the SES fleet would be Toyota Landcruisers or Nissan Patrols. Some are large troop carries while others are smaller four door vehicles. The 4WD vehicles are mostly used during searches, vehicle recovery, crew transport and flooding operations. Some Units use their 4WD to tow a road accident rescue trailer as they do not have a rescue truck, or a truck is not suitable for their circumstances.

Customised Rescue Vehicles
Some SES Units have specialised vehicles designed for specific tasks, or they carry specialised equipment not carried by other Units. The Knox Unit has a rescue vehicle with a crane that can be used for a number of tasks. Other Units have vehicles that have been custom made to suit their local requirements. The Lilydale Unit has a 4WD rescue truck which is used for road accident rescue in their area. They have a lot of jobs in areas where a normal GP truck would not be able to travel. The Eltham Unit has a customised panel van with rescue gear on a pull out draw. The van enables them to respond to rescue calls in the far end of their area which is very hilly and full of winding roads.

Water Rescue Craft
The SES has 90 water rescue craft in its fleet throughout Victoria. They range from small inflatable rescue boats through to larger marine rescue boats.

Marine Rescue Boats
Although limited in quantities throughout the SES these boats are suited to coastal operations or large lakes. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Most are powered by large outboard motors, however one is jet powered! These boats are used for long term search operations along coastal areas and large inland water courses in conjunction with coastal patrol vessels. They have built in radio communications and can carry a variety of rescue equipment.

Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRB)
An IRB is a water craft made from strong hollow flexible tubing that is inflated to enable it to float on water. The boat usually has a solid floor and a outboard motor of about 35 horsepower. They are usually red in colour. The boat handlers use portable radios for communication. They are excellent when used in rivers and lakes as they have a very small displacement and they can move around any obstacle very quickly. You can lift the boat with four people and carry it over some obstacles.

Flood Rescue Boats (FRB)
A flood rescue boat is usually made from aluminium and has a rigid hull. The FRB can have a larger motor than an IRB, around 45-60 horsepower. They may come with a canopy and can vary in size. They are usually yellow in colour. Some have fixed radio communications while others may used portable radios. The FRBs are used for moving livestock, supplies or goods and lots of people. They are suited to flooding situations and can carry up to 20 sheep if stacked neatly! The flood boats are used widely in the country areas during floods to help evacuate people, stock and transport food supplies or grain.

The FRBs are also used regularly for searches throughout inland water for overdue persons and boats. They form a major resource during inland water search operations and you will regularly see them performing safety tasks at aquatic events.

Road Accident Rescue Tools
A rescue crew responding to a road accident must have special equipment to help them remove the wrecked vehicle(s) from the trapped casualties inside them. Every rescue is different and the rescue crew may have to use different tools at each rescue.

A minimum standard of equipment was agreed upon for road accident rescue units specifying what equipment the vehicle should have to be capable of performing a road accident rescue. The standard set by the Combined Emergency Services is used by all rescue services in Victoria. To be able to cut through the metal found in cars and trucks, rescuers use special hydraulic tools usually referred to as the Jaws of Life. The hydraulic tools have incredible power and can cut through, bend or squash most objects on any car or truck. Some are powered by hand pumps and operated by a pump operator. Most modern rescue crews now use powered hydraulic units that do not require a second pump operator. The hydraulic rescue tools can be broken down into functional categories. Even though there are a number of brands on the market, they all either, shear, squash, spread or push metal. These tools are connected via hydraulic hoses to the pump which is used to power the tools.

Cutter or Shears
The shears or cutters are basically a large pair of scissors. They will cut through most of the metal found in vehicles on the roads today. Some parts of a car such as the axle or steering column made from high tensile steel will not cut. The cutting tool is used mainly to cut the pillars around doors, to make relief cuts for other techniques and for general purpose cutting of metal.

Spreader
The spreader tool looks like a pair of blunt scissors with big teeth at the end of the tips. They are heavy and can sometimes require two people to operate them. They are used to spread open a gap between two objects or two squash a piece of metal flat. The spreaders are usually used to open doors by forcing them open and then off their hinges, for squashing pillars and lifting things. They are very useful and without them, we would find rescues more difficult.

Spreader-cutters(Combi-tool)
Most manufacturers these days make a combination spreading and cutting tool often referred to as the omni-tool or combination tool. They allow a rescuer to cut and spread without having to change hydraulic lines saving time. Because they are a combination tool, they are generally not as good as a specific spreader or set of shears.

Rams
Another set of tools have the sole purpose of ramming or forcing metal away over a large distance, sometimes as far as two metres. The ram looks like a long pole with a handle. The ram plunger will extend out of one end and push away any metal in its path. Extension rams are most often used in what is called a, dash hinge, where the dashboard and steering wheel is lifted off the trapped person in the front seat so they can be removed without obstruction.

Programs
VICSES runs and operates a number of community education and public preparedness programs, designed and aimed at minimizing the chances that the public will need the services of organisations such as VICSES.These programs focus on the core responsibilities of VICSES that is Dealing with Floods, Storms, Earthquakes and Tsunami.

StormSafe
VICSES has developed the StormSafe Program encouraging the public to plan for and to expect the damage that sever storms can bring providing the community the tools and information that they may need to properly prepare themselves their families and their homes. for more information on StormSafe click this link http://www1.ses.vic.gov.au/CA256AEA002F0EC7/page/StormSafe?OpenDocument&1=67-StormSafe

FloodSafe
Flooding is a danger to life and property. The unpredictable nature of flash and coastal flooding add an extra element of danger, not to forget riverina flooding which is often described as an unstoppable force that will submerge and sweep away almost anything in its path. VICSES's FloodSafe program aims to make these dangers clear and obvious to the public and give them the information to correctly prepare. For more information on FloodSafe see below http://www1.ses.vic.gov.au/CA256AEA002F0EC7/page/FloodSafe?OpenDocument&1=65-FloodSafe~&2=~&3=~

QuakeSafe
SES is responsible for controlling the total earthquake response. Although Victoria does not lie on any fault lines, the threat of Earthquake while unlikely is still very real, thus VICSES as the responsible authority has developed a program to educate the community. QuakeSafe has been developed to be a comprehensive information bank for the steps needed to correctly react to an earthquake. A link for VICSES 'QuakeSafe is below http://www1.ses.vic.gov.au/CA256AEA002F0EC7/page/QuakeSafe?OpenDocument&1=66-QuakeSafe~&2=~&3=~

TsunamiSafe
The coast of Victoria has been affected by tsunami before. The largest tsunami to affect Victoria in recent times occurred in May 1960 after a 9.5 magnitude earthquake in Chile. Tsunami are a series of waves generated by any of the following: Vertical movement of the sea floor as the result of a large earthquake Submarine or coastal volcanic eruptions Meteor impacts Coastal landslides and slumps, either land-based or submarine TsunamiSafe by VICSES provides the public with,a basic overview of the threat, how to prepare and how to seek assistance. http://www1.ses.vic.gov.au/CA256AEA002F0EC7/page/TsunamiSafe?OpenDocument&1=68-TsunamiSafe~&2=~&3=~ for more information