OVERVIEW
There are many occasions when SES Units have an issue, which is expected to be taken up or resolved by DFES, that loses traction or is denied.
Under the Fire and Emergency Services act 1998, each Volunteer Emergency Response Service has a “Prescribed Association” appointed that represents and advocates for the volunteers in that service, and in the case of the SES Units and Volunteers it is the State Emergency Service Volunteers Association (SESVA).
The role of the SESVA is to represent the views of SES volunteers to all levels of government, DFES and other agencies on all matters affecting SES volunteers and the way in which they serve their communities.
Each DFES Region has an elected SESVA representative which is part of the SESVA Committee. The representative’s role is to be the local person to work on any matters for the SES Units and to assist where issues have not been resolved by the Regional Office or DFES.
The Process
To ensure timely and accurate information, please follow the process below.
- The SES Unit (Manager) must represent the issue to the Regional Office (DO) of DFES in writing, giving 14 days notice for a resolution or otherwise.
- If the issue is not resolved satisfactorily then all paper work, including copies of correspondence and records of conversation, must be quickly compiled. (Refer to Sequence of Events table on page 5)
- The Issue Management Report Form must be filled out and presented to the Regional Representative for action by the SESVA (in the absence of a rep then the SESVA Secretary does this role).
- The regional representative checks that the form is filled out and all required paper work is attached, and then forwards all details, as above, to the SESVA Secretary at sesva.secretary@ses-wa.asn.au.
- The SESVA Executive Council will represent the issue to DFES and provide feedback to the SES Unit Manager and SESVA Representative.
