The State Emergency Service (SES) is a volunteer division of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). When a natural disaster strikes or an emergency arises, SES volunteers come to the rescue by providing a wide range of volunteer services to help the community cope with the impact of a disaster.
The SES can help you with:
- Significant structural damage like collapsed roofs or ceilings
- Making temporary emergency repairs to homes and buildings
- Removing fallen trees that have damaged homes and cars
- Sandbagging areas in danger of flooding
- Pumping out flood water
- Rescuing trapped or injured people, and helping people relocate if they are in danger
The SES cannot help you with:
- Clearing debris and organising permanent repairs
- Attending to broken fences, trees that have fallen on fences or if there is debris around your property or in your pool
- Basic repairs that you can manage yourself
Always call triple zero (000) for fire and life-threatening emergencies.
How to contact the SES – Call 132 500
There can be a high level of demand, so when you call, you must be patient and be prepared to wait.
- Speak slowly and clearly
- Tell them exactly where to come
- All requests are prioritised by urgency
- Major structural damage will be attended to first
- Avoid clogging up emergency hotlines with unrelated requests
Your Request for Assistance (RFA)
Your call will be answered by the DFES Communications Centre (COMCEN) operator. They will collect your information from you such as the nature and location of the emergency, information about injuries and damage, and contact details in case we need to reach you.
Job Created and SES Unit Allocated
Once all the information we gathered, a RFA (Request for Assistance) will be created in the Incident Management System (IMS) and an SES crew will be allocated to the job. Jobs are allocated in order of priority and are serviced by SES Volunteers Statewide.
SES Crews Dispatched
When one or more crews are available, they will be dispatched to your location. At this stage, SES Volunteers are on the way to you. High priority jobs will be attended first. The responding crew may contact you if they’re having trouble locating you.
Remediation Works are Carried Out
Once on scene, SES Volunteers will secure the scene, assess damage and injuries, and address the emergency. Depending on the type of emergency, this may take some time and may involve other personnel and Agencies.
Job Completed
By this point, SES Volunteers have made the scene as safe as the circumstances will permit. You may not be allowed back inside unsafe areas or structures, but we will provide guidance and further information on scene as appropriate. When everything is complete, the job in IMS system will be closed.
