OVERVIEW
SES Units sometimes raise issues for DFES to address or resolve, but these matters may lose momentum or be declined.
Under the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1998, each Volunteer Emergency Response Service has an appointed “Prescribed Association” to represent and advocate for its volunteers. For SES Units and volunteers, this body is the SES Volunteers Association of Western Australia Incorporated (SESVA).
SESVA represents the views of SES volunteers to all levels of government, DFES and other agencies on matters that affect volunteers and their service to the community.
Each DFES Region has an elected SESVA representative who serves on the SESVA Committee. The representative acts as a local contact for SES Unit matters and helps 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.