History of the State Emergency Service
In 1959 as the cold war threat to Australia abated, the civil defence role of the State Emergency Service disappeared, however State Emergency Service Volunteers remained as busy as ever with a wide range of emergencies for which they can be called upon.
PLANNING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SES
Early efforts were devoted to planning, the formation of committees to examine specific aspects and the appointment of liaison officers. In November 1956, Mr W.S. Lonnie was seconded to the Premier’s Department as the Deputy Director of Civil Defence. October 1958, a Western Australian Government inter-departmental committee was established to prepare an appreciation on civil defence and make proposals for future policy and programming. In July 1959 the State Emergency Service was established in Western Australia for the purpose of “coping with civil disasters, including fires, floods, cyclones, railway accidents, crashed aircraft, explosions and the search for lost persons”. The Commissioner of Police was responsible for the operation of the State Emergency Service.
October 1961, following a royal commission on bush fires, a government review into ways to combat cyclones and floods was conducted by a committee consisting of the Under Secretary Premier’s Department, the Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Director of Civil Defence. As a result of this review the State Emergency Service and Civil Defence were combined to form the Civil Defence and Emergency Service of Western Australia (CDESWA). The committee also recommended, along with other matters, that further investigation be made into the necessity for legislative authority to ensure adequate control measures during emergencies. The combined organisation functioned, by authority of a cabinet minute, as a section of the Western Australian Premier’s Department.
February 1962 Mr W.S. Lonnie was appointed as the first Director of the Civil Defence and Emergency Service of Western Australia. The formation of the civil defence organisation at local level was intensified and a State wide public information programme was developed.
July 1974 the Civil Defence and Emergency Service of Western Australia was transferred to the Public Works Department. The Hon. Minister for Works, Water Supplies and Housing assumed responsibility for the Department. Part of the title, “Civil Defence” was dropped from its name and it was renamed the Western Australian State Emergency Service (WASES). The organisational headquarters were situated at Leake Street, Belmont where the State Emergency Operations Centre was contained in an underground facility known as “the bunker”.
In the early days, the State was divided into various regions to provide coverage throughout Western Australia. Local volunteer units were located at Subiaco and Perth, along with diverse locations like Westrail and the Swan Brewery.
From 1976 onwards, State Emergency Service Regional Coordinators were appointed to each of the regions. The first coordinators to be appointed were in the Gascoyne/Murchison and Pilbara regions. The new aim of the State Emergency Service of Western Australia became “to provide for the co-ordination of planning, training and operations to counter the effects of disaster, both natural or war caused, in Western Australia”.
August 1976, the formation of a State Counter Disaster Committee was approved by State Cabinet. The purpose of this committee was to provide advice to government at the time of a disaster, with its function being to:
• Advise Government on action necessary to provide relief.
• Co-ordinate the resources available to Government Departments and Instrumentalities to ensure that all steps are taken to plan for and to counter the
effects of a disaster.
• Co-ordinate the provision of necessary services, materials and equipment not available from Government Departments and Instrumentalities.
December 1976 the State Counter Disaster Plan was approved by Cabinet. This plan provided for the establishment of functional Emergency Committees and Regional and Local Counter Disaster Committees.
1977 the responsibility for the Western Australian State Emergency Service was transferred back to the Premier’s Department and responsibility remained with the Hon. Deputy Premier although the Public Works Department (PWD) remained the parent department.
March 1983 the responsibility for the Western Australian State Emergency Service was transferred to the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Local Government. A review of the emergency services in Western Australia was commenced in October 1983.
August 1985, the review of emergency services in Western Australia was finalised and the Western Australian State Emergency Service was transferred by authority of a cabinet minute: “as a separate identifiable entity within the Police Department”.
As a result of the review the WA Government approved:
• The responsibility for overall co-ordination of emergency services be assigned to the Commissioner of Police;
• The establishment of a State Counter Disaster Advisory Committee (SCDAC) for the
determination of policy and the development of necessary planning to achieve an
effective response to disaster or emergency situations;
• The placement of the Western Australian State Emergency Service as a separate
identifiable entity within the WA Police Department;
• The retention of the Regional and Local Counter Disaster Committees; and
• The establishment of an appointment designated Executive Director, Emergency
Services Co-ordination, to oversee the operation of the Western Australian State
Emergency Service. This appointment to be filled by a Police Officer of Chief
Superintendent rank.
November 1985 the State Counter Disaster Advisory Committee approved the Role, Objectives and Responsibilities of the Western Australian State Emergency Service to:
- foster the State Counter Disaster and Civil Defence arrangements; and
discharge assigned responsibilities in accordance with counter disaster plans, - approved by the State Counter Disaster Advisory Committee or as directed by the Commissioner of Police.
At this time, a Chief Superintendent of Police was appointed as the Executive Director of Emergency Services Coordination to oversee the operation of the Western Australian State Emergency Service. All paid staff positions of the State Emergency Service were retained as Public Service staff of the Police Department.
April 1991, following an internal management review of the Western Australian State Emergency Service, a number of changes were initiated, including the creation of the Emergency Management Unit within the State Emergency Service.
March 1992, an internal review of the Police Department resulted in further changes to the WASES structure.
This included the separation of the Emergency Management Unit from within the WASES. The Police Emergency Services Unit (PSEU) was formed and placed within the Police Department’s Operations Support portfolio. The PESU consisted of the WASES, and the Emergency Management unit.
During 1995, the State Emergency Service was established as a separate department, which remained in place until 1997.
June 1997, a taskforce was established by the Western Australian Government to look at ways of improving planning and coordination across the State’s emergency services. As a result of the Barchard Report, the State Government formed a committee to assess the emergency services in Western Australia. This committee was chaired by John Lloyd and provided regular updates to the State Emergency Service Volunteers Association. There were strong recommendations for legislation contained in the Barchard Report, however they did not result in legislation which was subsequently noted in the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee Report to the Legislative Assembly in 2002.
On 1 January 1998, following recommendations made by the committee, and as an interim arrangement whilst legislation was being prepared, the Fire and Emergency Services of Western Australia was created as a department under the Public Sector Management Act.
POLICY STATEMENTS
As Western Australia did not have emergency management legislation prior to the Emergency Management Act (2005), the emergency management arrangements in Western Australia operated under a series of Policy Statements setting out the operational rules for particular incidents and processes.
• Policy Statement No. 1 – Emergency Management Information Dissemination System
• Policy Statement No. 2 – Standard Emergency Warning Signal
• Policy Statement No. 3 – Local Community Emergency Management Planning Policy
• Policy Statement No. 4 – Emergency Management in the Perth Metropolitan Region
• Policy Statement No. 5 – Bushfire Evacuation Decision Policy
• Policy Statement No. 6 – Change of Titles Emergency Management Committees
• Policy Statement No. 7 – Western Australian Emergency Management Arrangements
• Policy Statement No. 8 – Integration of Emergency Plans for Offshore Petroleum
Operations
• Policy Statement No. 9 – Commonwealth Physical Assistance
• Policy Statement No. 10 – Procedure for Activating State Support Plans
• Policy Statement No. 11 – Development and Promulgation of Hazard Management Agency
Hazard Plans
• Policy Statement No. 12 – Post Operation Reports
• Policy Statement No. 13 – Funding for Multi-Agency Emergencies
• Policy Statement No. 15 – State Level Emergency Management Exercises
The State Emergency Service utilised Policy Statement No. 7 as the main document for the
emergency management arrangements in Western Australia.
On 1 January 1999, the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) of Western Australia was formally established as a statutory government authority, replacing the Fire Brigades Board and Bush Fires Board.
The establishment of FESA brought together several emergency services including the State Emergency Service under one board and one chief executive officer. In subsequent years the Volunteer Marine Rescue Service and the Emergency Service Cadets were also incorporated within FESA.
The Fire and Emergency Services Authority Board of Management was formed and first met on 4 January 1999.
Under the FESA Act (1998), the Board was a representative Board which resulted in the Minister appointing a Volunteer from the State Emergency Service as a full member of the FESA Board. Under the legislation FESA inherited the State Emergency Service functions as the hazard management agency for tropical cyclone, flood, storm, earthquake and tsunami when the Act commenced in January 1999.
FESA also became the combat authority for land search, road crash rescue, and cliff and cave rescue. Previously these roles were fulfilled by the State Emergency Service.
July 2005, FESA had a major restructure and the State Emergency Service in the country areas were amalgamated with the Fire Services into a number of multi service regions. State Emergency Service Units now became part of the FESA structure, reporting to managers who did not necessarily have experience with the State Emergency Service. Country Regional Directors were now responsible for Fire and State Emergency Service. The Metropolitan State Emergency Service became part of the new Operations Portfolio reporting to an Assistance Chief of Operations.
The Western Australian (WA) Emergency Management Act 2005 (EM Act) was proclaimed in December 2005. In accordance with section 103 of the EM Act, a review of the EM Act is to be undertaken as soon as practicable after 5 years of operation.
2009, the Fire and Emergency Services Authority celebrated the 50th anniversary of one of Western Australia’s greatest volunteer organisations, the State Emergency Service.
In the second half of 2012 the Fire and Emergency Services act (FES act of 1998) passed through parliament and the new Department of Fire and Emergency Services commenced operation on 1 November 2012. Through this act a Commissioner for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services was appointed.
The FESA Board was abolished as well as the SES Volunteer Consultative Council. See section 8 for the replacement of the SES VCC. The District Managers were now termed Natural Hazard District Officers and the SES no longer had any staff exclusive to that role. The State Emergency Service functions now became part of that new department.
Present
After more than 57 years, the State Emergency Service Volunteers are the most
versatile and widely used rescue and public safety organisation in Western Australia – made up of males and females from all walks of life. Today, the State Emergency Service is part of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, with:
• 63 State Emergency Service units operating across the state
• 4 SES Support Units (Canine, Mounted, CSU and Sword)
• 12 Fire and Emergency Service Units performing the State Emergency Service role along with their Fire role.
• more than 2000 Volunteers aged from 16 to over 80
• district Officers (termed Natural Hazard DOs) based in the DFES regional offices
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (SES Volunteers as the first responders) has the primary or Hazard Management roles for:
• Floods
• Tsunami
• Earthquake
• Storm, and
• Cyclone
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (SES Volunteers as the first responders also has a combat role for:
• Road Accident Rescue
• Vertical rescue and
• Land search
State Emergency Service Volunteers are easily recognised by their orange overalls with the letters “State Emergency Service” emblazoned on the back. Over the years a range of vehicles have been utilised which have included, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), all-terrain units (ATUs), Toyota personnel carriers, trucks, buses and purpose-built trailers.
The State Emergency Service also maintains a number of flood rescue boats which are strategically located across the state. These rescue boats have a secondary role for resupply of communities during emergency situations. Another key role of the State Emergency Service is to raise community awareness and preparedness relating to natural disasters. A prepared community is better able to respond to and recover from a disaster. State Emergency Service Volunteers educate people to be as self-reliant as possible during emergency events caused by any of the above hazards.
Over the Service’s half century of existence, the Volunteers have been a part of some of the state’s most significant natural and human disasters. During this time there have been very many notable floods, cyclones, earthquakes and storms affecting many areas and communities.
