Relief governance: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the Emergency Management Commissioner strengthen the State Emergency Management Plan and supporting operational arrangements in accordance with his legislative obligations to ensure the roles and responsibilities of the State Emergency Relief Coordinator and the State Relief and Recovery Team are clear. These documents should enable:
(a) appropriate communication and tasking between the state, regional and incident/local tiers in relation to relief priorities
(b) clear accountability and reporting arrangements for senior operational leaders including the Emergency Management Commissioner, State Response Controller and State Recovery Coordinator.

Recovery governance: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the Victorian Government establish a permanent and comprehensive entity dedicated to recovery management with the authority, capability, capacity and resourcing to coordinate the planning and delivery of recovery functions for all emergencies.

Relief governance: The Inspector General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria lead the development of relief arrangements to achieve greater clarity of roles, reporting and accountability in relief across state, regional and incident tiers. These arrangements should:
(a) incorporate local knowledge and leverage local capabilities in the development of these arrangements
(b) be used to develop training opportunities and materials to increase relief capability across the sector, with a particular focus on capability development of operational leaders
(c) coordinate multi-agency exercises to practise and refine these relief arrangements.

TFS, PWS and STT should jointly reach a decision on whether a winch capable remote area firefighting capability should be maintained in Tasmania; which agency or agencies should be responsible for that program; and how a winch capable remote area firefighting capability can be safely trained and kept current, to include consideration of the availability of winching aircraft. If the decision is taken not to maintain this capability in the state, TFS, PWS and STT should identify how the gap in capability that this represents should be filled in future fire seasons.

The proposed Tasmania State Air Desk should have a finance officer attached to its staff.

TFS, PWS and STT should jointly carry out work to identify acceptable shift lengths and patterns – including requirements for rest days – for all personnel working on emergency operations. Once these have been identified, systems should be put in place to ensure that HR rostering practices follow these fatigue management guidelines. And senior staff should lead by example and ensure that they, as well as the people working under them, take adequate rest breaks.

That, in the event of a major emergency such as the June floods, a government department (DPAC or State Growth) be appointed to coordinate infrastructure repair, to the extent that funding allows, for the whole state. Individual entities will still have the right and responsibility to repair and maintain their own assets, but some central oversight and coordination is, in our view, likely to be beneficial.

That DPAC becomes the Management Authority for recovery in Tasmania.

That Government establishes a central flood policy unit responsible for coordinating flood policy across all government agencies, including Government Businesses, and ensures that such a unit has a whole-of-government and community focus.

The Tasmanian fire agencies think more broadly about how staff who are already employed by Government could support the management of future emergencies.

Increase SES Capability and Capacity to respond to flood event.

Improve integration of health information systems.

Assess water supply resilience in the case of an interruption.

Build capacity to enable Incident Management Teams to manage the likely increased frequency and intensity of major fire events.

Review Tas Govt interoperability arrangements.

Review flood response sustainment capacity of organisations.

Enhance business continuity planning by the Tasmanian Health Service.

Clarify the relationship between the DHHS and THS in the establishment of flu services.

Implement a database management approach for notifiable disease record systems.

Incorporate heatwave surge response planning into business continuity planning.

Develop a disaster client record system.

The report recommends that Ambulance Tasmania reinforce the requirement to record factors contributing to response time outliers and the remedial action undertaken to address the contributing factors.

The report recommends that Ambulance Tasmania develop strategies to improve response times to those of other jurisdictions and undertake cost benefit analysis of those strategies before deciding on implementation.

IGEM recommends that fire agencies review their documentation systems and information recording processes to ensure that all operational activities are captured, and to maintain the accuracy and relevance of all developed products. This includes the need to ensure that all significant points of reference entered into mapping products are geo-coded to facilitate accurate transfer of information from one mapping product to another.

IGEM recommends that fire agencies review their resource allocation recording mechanisms and systems to ensure that an accurate reflection of resources deployed to an incident at any given time can be ascertained

That the Department of Health & Human Services and Department of Justice & Regulation verify that response time data used in their reports on output performance measures is accurate and auditable.

That the Department of Health & Human Services' and the Department of Justice & Regulation's public reporting of response time measures clearly attribute accountability for each phase of emergency response, including call-taking time involving the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority.

That the Department of Health & Human Services and Ambulance Victoria focus emergency response time reporting on highest priority cases. 

That Ambulance Victoria, Country Fire Authority, Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board and Victoria State Emergency Service improve the transparency of public reporting on response times by including regional performance, times, trends and analysis of the factors affecting performance.

That the Country Fire Authority, Victoria State Emergency Service and Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board improve controls over response time data collection and reporting.

That the Department of Justice & Regulation applies a consistent approach to emergency response time measures including data capture, calculation and reporting.

VicSES should: align ERAS-e profiles with its planning cycle

The Department of Premier and Cabinet should develop clear guidelines for departments in designing community disaster relief and recovery programs.

Rural Finance Corporation (Department of Treasury and Finance) and Regional Development Victoria should coordinate any future disaster relief and recovery programs for businesses.

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should provide one comprehensive source of information on leave

Ambulance Victoria should review processes for managing personal unplanned leave evidence to reduce the risk that personal unplanned leave is incorrectly recorded

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should improve specialised human resources support to frontline managers

Victoria Police should monitor the use of online tools for accessing unplanned leave data, to make sure that the tools are accessible and meet the needs of police managers

Ambulance Victoria should review support for team managers who also perform paramedic duties and implement improvements to maximise team managers’ ability to perform their roles

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should provide operational commanders, senior station officers the personal unplanned leave of firefighters in their teams

Victoria Police should improve the management of police members undergoing performance and discipline procedures

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should strengthen performance management of firefighter effectively manage personal unplanned leave

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should continue to strengthen human resource management processes and controls to reduce avoidable overtime costs.

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should review the impact of its enterprise agreements on the efficiency of frontline management, and on the implementation of audit recommendations, in preparation for enterprise agreement discussions in 2013

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should review and strengthen controls over staff fulfilling their evidence to support personal unplanned leave

Ambulance Victoria should closely monitor in rural regions the outcomes of its strategy to strengthen team management and adjust the strategy to address gaps or underperformance.

That emergency management plans specifically include processes and resources for effectively engaging with and using local communities, including volunteers

That Tasmania Fire Service and its partner agencies establish a means of monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of centralising the location of Incident Management Teams.

That Tasmania Fire Service examines options for developing and issuing fire management objectives and tactics from Incident Management Teams in a more timely way, including ‘quick’ plans.

That the State Controller (or an alternate if they are not available) be expected to personally take an active role in controlling and coordinating response and recovery operations, depending on the nature and scale of the emergency, and until other identified arrangements for ongoing operations are established.

That the Government take into account demographic change in its assessment of the consequences of climate change on emergency events.

TFS develop written guidelines for the use of IMTs about the use of evacuation in a bushfire context, and triggers for decision-making.

TFS review the restriction on interstate personnel filling positions such as Incident Controller and obtain definitive advice on the legal reasons for this. If immunity legislation is unclear then legislative change could be sought to ensure that the immunities enjoyed by Tasmanian incident controllers apply equally to personnel from interstate performing incident controller roles.

That TFS develop a strategy to manage the workloads on career staff to reduce the risk of single point failures through spreading workloads and capability to ensure a level of redundancy and resilience in a number of critical portfolios. This should include deploying volunteer and retained personnel to maximise both its operational and support capacity during major and/or protracted fires and incidents, both in operational centres and in the field in command roles. Other sources of expertise should also be identified in advance of incidents occurring and called upon if necessary.

TFS continue to develop and publish RFOC policy and procedures, ensuring that all partners who perform roles within the RFOC are included in the consultation and training.

That:
- TFS, Ambulance Tasmania, Forestry/Parks and SES set reliability standards and monitor against them
- TFS, Ambulance Tasmania, Forestry/Parks and SES establish a register to record service outages and complaints regarding their networks
- all service and complaint issues are resolved within pre-set targets.

That government considers the establishment of a separate unit to implement and operate a Whole of Government network if existing stakeholders fail to make significant progress toward an agreed Whole of Government solution.

That the Whole of Government project’s objectives should include meeting entity requirements and the consultant be asked to reevaluate the revised set of objectives.

The Victorian Government to implement the recommendations of the Victorian Floods Review in relation to the development and implementation of appropriate flood mitigation and protection strategies for essential services.

The state government should implement the recommendations of the Victorian Floods Review in relation to the creation of resilience committees and resilience plans, with responsible authorities.

The Victorian Government should work with the New South Wales Government and the Murray Darling Basin Authority to establish an appropriate floodplain management committee and to develop a floodplain management strategy for the Murray River. The strategy will define priority regions for the development of floodplain management plans, address ways of improving the management of all levees on the Murray River, and seek agreement in relation to improved approvals processes, levee heights and maintenance regimes.

The state government implement the Victorian Floods Review recommendation 10 in relation to the datums used to describe river and stream heights.

The state government will work with Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water and stakeholders to determine ongoing ownership and associated responsibilities for redundant channel infrastructure in the Wimmera and the Mallee.

The state government accept recommendations 25 to 28, inclusive, of the Victorian Floods Review.

Within the jurisdiction of Melbourne Water, it shares with local councils the responsibility to manage local drainage systems as outlined under the Water Act 1989 and the Local Government Act 1989 respectively:
• Melbourne Water, in conjunction with metropolitan councils, will undertake an audit of drainage infrastructure to identify drains that are not currently managed by a public authority; and
• following this audit Melbourne Water will work with relevant councils to develop best practice models for the management of the drainage asset.

The role of flood risk management planning rests with CMAs and Melbourne Water (under the Water Act 1989), and is a shared responsibility with local government. Shared responsibilities for flood risk management planning and implementation will be consistently reflected in government policy.

Agency incident management preparedness: a more comprehensive approach to planning, including the number of personnel, their training and better use of on-the-ground intelligence in the affected areas that enables immediate and strategic decision-making to be concurrent processes.

Agency incident management preparedness: refining IT tools to process the intelligence.

Agency incident management preparedness: provide clarity and certainty in specific roles and responsibilities for each agency.

Regulators can help to achieve improved outcomes by involving fire services in the planning and licensing processes

Fire services can improve outcomes by developing a checklist for use by incident controllers

Fire services can improve outcomes by using a pre-planned response to provide appropriate resources

the state expand the Regional Water Monitoring Partnerships model to include all flood warning gauges.

the state (consistent with recommendation 46) develop a model for determining the capability and capacity of departments and agencies with roles and responsibilities in large scale or protracted emergencies. The issues of capability and capacity should be addressed at all levels of emergency management planning.

The state take the necessary measures to clarify roles, responsibilities and cost-sharing arrangements for flood warning systems, including tasking state and regional bodies to be responsible for the flood warning system. This will require engaging with the commonwealth to amend the 2001 arrangements, updating the 1998 floodplain management strategy accordingly and continuing to support commonwealth initiatives designed to improve flood mapping standards and associated issues.

the Departments of Health and Human Services finalise the definition of ‘vulnerable person’ and the list of facility types where vulnerable people are located and ensure that the definition and associated policy(ies) are applicable across ‘all hazards’.

the state undertake major reform of Victoria’s emergency management arrangements to bring about an effective ‘all hazards, all agencies’ approach, incorporating: • clarity of command and control in all emergencies • common operating platforms, including communications and information technology • interoperability between all agencies • regular joint training and exercising by all agencies • the development and implementation of performance standards for each emergency management agency • the development and maintenance of effective planning arrangements at all levels of emergency management • a meaningful monitoring and audit regime for designated standards and planning requirements; and • an effective accountability mechanism to support the maintenance of legislative and other agency obligations.

the state conduct an ‘all hazards’ needs analysis to determine requirements for level 3 Incident Control Centres with a focus on ‘all hazards’ and multi-agency capability. Following this analysis, the state take steps to ensure the availability of sufficient and functional level 3 Incident Control Centres across the state with an ‘all hazards’ and multi-agency capability

the state clarify the role of intelligence cell staff (for example, hydrologists and/or Catchment Management Authority) who are utilised in Incident Control Centres during flood events

The Fire Services Commissioner ensures that there is a single standard for the tabards worn by the IMT on the fireground and in control centres to ensure consistency and aid interoperability.

The Fire Services Commissioner clarifies the role of regional controller for major fires and incidents other than bushfire.

The Fire Services Commissioner ensures that policy, operational procedures, systems and training relating to information and warnings that have been applied to bushfires are now also applied to other emergencies. In particular:
- information and warning messages are consistent as well as relevant, timely and accurate
- a formal arrangement is established to ensure twenty-four hour availability of information officers for the issuing of information and warning messages
- advice messages are issued to the community as soon as practicable to prevent ‘information gaps’
- integration of MFB with the One Source One Message (OSOM) system is expedited.
 

The CFA, in consultation with the VFBV and volunteers, develop a comprehensive strategy for the administrative support of volunteer brigades to ensure that such brigades can operate efficiently and effectively.

The CFA and the Chief Officer continue to develop the initiatives outlined in relation to service delivery and standards, decision‐making and allocation of resources.

The CFA revisit with the UFU the arrangements relating to the employment of part‐time and casual employees.

The CFA, in consultation with the VFBV and volunteers, explore and develop initiatives whereby qualified volunteers may be more utilised in Incident Management Teams.

The CFA revisit with the UFU the arrangements relating to lateral entry and secondment.

The CFA as part of any examination of the utilisation of the NBN give priority to the establishment of internet access for brigades.

The CFA revisit with the UFU the arrangement relating to the recruitment of volunteer firefighters as an employee.

The CFA continue with its initiatives to implement the Garnock Report, keeping volunteers and paid personnel fully informed of progress and consulting with them in relation to the implementation. This implementation should be given priority, having regard to its importance.

The CFA continue, in consultation with volunteers, paid personnel and their representatives, its review of disciplinary arrangements and as part of that review consider the concept of the establishment of a Volunteer Ombudsman.

A. The CFA, in consultation with its volunteers and employees, determine and adopt a statement of Vision, Mission and Values.
B. Position descriptions and key selection criteria require knowledge of, and commitment to, this statement.
C. Membership of the CFA by a volunteer be on the basis of the volunteer being committed to this statement.

The CFA continue its consultations with the UFU to establish a satisfactory and workable process for the use of sessional instructors.

The CFA, in relation to developing any process for brigade support or career structure or position description for Brigade Administrative Support Officers, as referred to in Clause 8 of the 2010 Deed, consult with the VFBV and volunteers before reaching any decision on those matters.

A. The CFA, in consultation with employers and volunteers, explore the establishment of employer consultation and support mechanisms along the lines of those developed by the Australian Defence Force.
B. Consideration be given to enactment of legislation along the lines of the federal legislation relating to employers and Defence Reservists.
C. Consideration be given to the establishment of an Employer Support Payment Scheme along the lines of that operated by the Australian Defence Force.

The CFA revisit with the UFU the arrangements contained in industrial agreements relating to the engagement of instructors with a view to increasing the ability and flexibility of the CFA to fill instructor positions and thereby ensure maximum training capacity to the benefit of CFA members, both volunteer and paid.

Consider the ‘secondment’ of staff into Information Section roles during the fire season along the lines of the seasonal Project Fire Fighters model

The Fire Services continue to develop fire behaviour analysis and predictive science capability by ensuring the Fire Behaviour Analysis Team is appropriately resourced with accredited staff and available to provide services to the IMT.

The Fire Services, as part of the regular review of Incident Management Teams – Readiness Arrangements, reassess current resource sustainability and identify opportunities for a more flexible application.

Incident Controllers ensure that Emergency Management Teams consider, provide advice, and manage the broader consequences of actions, such as reopening roads, the resumption of public transport and school buses, and the welfare of those impacted by traffic management points.

The Fire Services continue working towards a common and integrated information and communication platform to improve interoperability at state, regional and local levels.

The Fire Services ensure that an incident action plan (summary) is developed in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure J3.03.

The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment amend their procedures to require that a suitably experienced, qualified and competent person be appointed as Incident Controller, regardless of the control agency for the fire.

The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment establish before the 2010–11 fire season: ■ a uniform, objective and transparent process based on the current DSE approach for the accreditation of level 3 Incident Controllers; ■ a performance review system for level 3 Incident Controllers; ■ a traineeship program for progression from level 2 to level 3 incident management team positions.

The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment: ■ amend their procedures to require that an incident action plan summary be completed within the first four hours of an incident being reported and be provided to the State Control Centre and, where established, to the relevant Area of Operations Control Centre; ■ adopt DSE’s incident action plan summary as the template to be used by all incident management teams and ensure that the template is included in the online IMT Tool Box; ■ provide regular training to IMT staff, highlighting the importance of information and reinforcing the support available from specialists within the State Control Centre.

The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment prescribe and audit the minimum number and nature of level 3 joint training exercises in which incident management team staff (including volunteers) are required to participate.

The Department of Human Services should base targets for staff in emergency roles on regional needs and develop a staff deployment strategy. 

The Department of Human Services should work with regions and partner agencies at the state level to create consistent, streamlined impact assessment processes and systems. 

The Department of Human Services should communicate strategic priorities to achieve state and regional level alignment in building recovery capacity and capability. 

The Department of Human Services should work with the State Emergency Recovery Planning Committee, regions, and other partners to facilitate understanding and ownership of roles and responsibilities for common recovery services. 

The Department of Premier and Cabinet should clarify the requirements in relation to establishing Security and Continuity Networks in designated sectors, so that there is a shared understanding of those requirements.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet should identify risks arising from the joined-up nature of the approach to protecting essential services and critical infrastructure, and to assist departments and agencies to develop associated risk management arrangements at the whole-of-government level.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet should provide definitive guidance on identifying essential services for declaration to better inform relevant departments in discharging their responsibilities under Part 6 of the Act.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet should clarify the roles and responsibilities of departments and agencies under Part 6 of the Act and CIP framework to reduce confusion and gaps.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet, in consultation with Victoria Police, should develop clear guidance to distinguish between declared essential services and critical infrastructure to assist departments, Victoria Police and industry in implementing Part 6 of the Act and the CIP framework more effectively. 

Representatives of lead departments should obtain necessary security clearances so appropriate officers can access information relevant to their sectors.

That the Tasmania Fire Service provide additional training in power disconnection and improvements in communication between Tasmania Fire Service and Aurora:
(a) That fire fighters receive training as to the available methods for power disconnection.
(b) That Fire Comm operators receive training as to the available methods of power disconnection.
(c) That fire fighters and Fire Comm operators establish protocols which clearly identify the type of power disconnection which has been requested, that being:
(i) disconnection at a sub-station and the attendance of a Field Operator;
(ii) disconnection of a grid.
(d) That Tasmania Fire Service and Aurora Energy establish clear protocols as to the type of power disconnection available so that a clear and unambiguous request can be made by Fire Comm to Aurora which will be acted upon in a timely manner and appropriate personnel dispatched.
(e) That fire fighters receive training as to the length of time that it would take for Aurora to dispatch a Field Operator so that appropriate decisions can be made on the fire ground as to whether a grid disconnection is required.

That emergency services continue to take the lead role in marine emergencies and operate under their respective legislation, the Emergency Management Act and the State’s emergency management arrangements.

That Harbour Masters are employed by a government body and remain geographically located at the port.

That the Department of Transport ensures that key stakeholders are engaged during the implementation of the approved Review recommendations. 

That the Director of Marine Safety works with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to ensure that State and port emergency arrangements interface appropriately with the National Maritime Emergency Response Arrangements.

That emergency services increase their capability/capacity to respond to marine emergencies by undertaking the necessary training, increasing their awareness of port and ship operations and ensuring knowledge of the roles/responsibilities of the relevant authorities and stakeholders.

The State Government endorse the establishment of the Victorian Emergency Information Line and it is developed with appropriate protocols to ensure linkages and information flows to the energy sector.

The Emergency Services Organisations and relevant agencies ensure that the operation of the Emergency Management Joint Public Information Committee is included in their resourcing and operational planning.

The Department of Human Services improve its communication with councils to enhance delivery of recovery services.

The Department of Primary Industries should establish a senior emergency management position to strengthen the Department’s role in emergency management. This position should be the interface between private sector energy providers and whole of government response entities, with the objectives of better coordination of data and information, including the flow through to CGRC and clearer media management functions. The transition of roles from previous arrangements at the Department of Infrastructure to the Department of Primary Industries, be reinforced to all staff and the sector.

The emergency management arrangements include the development of partnerships between the public and private sectors, in particular the involvement of government departments and essential services.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner and other relevant departments conduct further work to determine the need for a power to appoint a coordinator of essential services restoration.

That the Victorian Government consider all available means, consistent with conservation values, for substantially increasing the access of apiarists to the public land estate.

That the Victorian Government expedite the implementation of its 2006 election commitment to provide four wheel drive clubs with access to management vehicle only tracks.

DPI should develop an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Human Services that capitalises on and strengthens the current good working relationship to support joint forward planning and risk management and mitigates against relationship failure in the event of leadership change. The MOU should clarify:
• objectives and purpose
• roles and responsibilities
• joint planning arrangements and risk management procedures
• document operational procedures
• internal and external joint communication strategies to ensure messages are in unison with health and primary industry objectives
• cost sharing arrangements for management of a zoonotic EAD
• joint training and capability development
• review and evaluation of performance. 

A senior Tasmanian NETS representative be confirmed on the Tasmanian Medical Retrieval Services Committee.

Launceston General and Burnie Hospital’s Emergency Departments require sufficient equipment, monitors and human resources to provide occasional safe local retrieval in their region.

A rapidly responsive helicopter and road retrieval capability to be developed out of RHH.

The preferred model for the Tasmanian Medical Retrieval Services is to have TMRS and NETS staff based in RHH. The fixed wing would remain based in Launceston (for the present) with the helicopter to remain based in Hobart.

Royal Flying Doctor Service fixed wing to remain in Launceston for the duration of the current contract.

A senior, experienced, clinically trained ambulance officer to be based in TAS Communications in Hobart for at least 14 hours a day.

The fragmentation and duplication of fixed wing and helicopter clinical coordination should be eliminated through centralisation to TAS Communications.

CSC investigating possible change of location when contract for current location at Wendouree expires in 2008.

That agencies integrate condition information into their asset management decision-making practices and use it as the basis for validating asset valuations and depreciation calculations.

That PSB’s enforcement procedures are consistent with those of the rest of the department.

That DPI negotiates access, as and when required, to an AQIS PC4- accredited laboratory.

That DPI improves monitoring and surveillance of high priority threats and improves the quality of information provided to the Commonwealth.

That DPI makes arrangements to use contract labour for fruit fly trap monitoring and surveillance before the predicted fruit fly outbreak season.

That DPI develops a consistent approach to recording and enforcing breaches of the certification and verification system.

That Incident Control Centres and Municipal Emergency Co-ordination Centres be collocated, wherever practicable. 

That Government confirms that the Model of Fire Cover/Fire Safety Victoria strategy should be a seamless model for the whole of the State and include both private and public land.

That the practice of appointing Deputy Planning Officer, Deputy Operations Officer and Deputy Logistics Officer in an Incident Management Team be abandoned. This recommendation acknowledges the benefits of retaining a Deputy Incident Controller from the support agency (in accordance with section 4.2.6 of the Emergency Management Manual Victoria), to ensure that the command structure of that agency is preserved. 

That DSE investigates whether such agreements should exist with other government Departments and agencies, particularly those with officers located in rural Victoria who may be involved in fire response and support operations in the future, based on their expertise and experience.

That personnel assigned the roles of Division Commander, Sector Commander and Strike Team Leader be given flexibility to alter tactics to take advantage of changed conditions on the fire ground.

That an appropriately resourced, national aerial firefighting strategy is urgently required, and that the Victorian Government make representations to the Commonwealth to support the Australasian Fire Authorities Council recommendations

That the Privacy Commissioner be asked for advice in the development of this model.

That, wherever possible, Incident Management Team members from DSE, CFA and MFESB who are likely to be deployed together to manage fire, should train and exercise together. 

That the Victoria Emergency Management Council establish a sub-committee by June 2004 to ensure an all-agency and appropriate industries’ policy framework is developed and agreed in respect to the planning for fire prevention, mitigation and suppression.

That personnel assigned the roles of Division Commander, Sector Commander and Strike Team Leader on the fire ground are actively encouraged to provide input into the selection of strategies and tactics.

That any local level agreements developed to address geographically specific risks or issues must be consistent with State-level arrangements.

That Interstate Agreements prepared by the fire agencies be reviewed to include protocols for the joint release of consistent and appropriate information relating to fires burning across State borders.

That the State Emergency Operations Centre develop and maintain strong and close links with the State Emergency Response Coordination Centre, if collocation is not possible.

That the Fire Management Branch of DSE be prescribed as an ‘emergency service agency’ for the purposes of s21C (1)(a) of the Emergency Management Act 1986.

That, according to available scientific evidence, a decision regarding cattle grazing in the High Country should not be based on the argument that ‘grazing prevents blazing.’

That DSE and CFA ensure that agreed strategy and tactics, and the rationale, be communicated to personnel involved in the fire fight and be included in briefings for fire line personnel.

That CFA continues to work with its Brigades to complete the integration of AIIMS-ICS with the Group Structure for full implementation by the 2004-2005 fire season.

That DSE and CFA ensure that:
• A clear process is established for determining whether a specific location is, or is no longer, a ‘no go zone’ or an area into which it is too dangerous to deploy resources, and that affected communities are advised as soon as possible of the determination, the reasons for such determination and what actions they should take as a result; and
• Where the Incident Management Team, Division Commander, Sector Commander and/or Strike Team Leader identify an area as a ‘no go zone’ or an area into which it is too dangerous to deploy resources, the reasons for that designation are recorded by the Incident Management Team in the incident log.

That the options of collocating the State Emergency Response Coordination Centre with the new State Emergency Operations Centre
be explored.

That a State Emergency Operations Centre be established to replace the existing separate fire agency centres. This could, if necessary, be initially confined to being a State Fire Operations Centre as recommended in Chapter 18, Part D.

That the fire agencies ensure that Incident Action Plans developed by Incident Management Teams are consistent with, and built on, the agreed Fire Control Priorities.

That the fire agencies develop contingency plans in relation to access to water for firefighting, including where appropriate, the use of static, large volume water tanks.

That operational briefings in multi-agency fires should, wherever possible, be joint briefings of all agencies involved.

That a single state-of-the-art all hazards State Emergency Operations Centre be established for Victoria. This could, if necessary, be implemented in stages, initially incorporating DSE, CFA, MFESB and the State Aircraft Unit.

That, as a matter of urgency, CFA and DSE:
• Develop strategies to provide adequate and sustainable firefighting resources, suitably trained and experienced; and
• Advise Government of these strategies.

That DSE and CFA develop an agreed process for the effective transfer of control from one Incident Control Centre to another, including processes for communicating this change to fire ground supervisors and local communities.

That Government in the development of its statewide water policy includes appropriate consideration of access to water for firefighting.

That the ‘Incident Objectives’ established for any response should reflect the endorsed Statewide ‘Fire Control Priorities’, and the relevant Municipal Fire Management Plan.

The Committee recommends that a new Board be appointed, consisting of nine members nominated by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services and including the Chief Executive Officer who shall not be Chairman.

The Committee recommends that the Bureau of Emergency Services Telecommunications Centre extend its services as a commercial venture to smaller government agencies who could not develop such a dedicated system.

It is inappropriate for an emergency services provider to develop its own standards, core objectives and functions. The Committee recommends that these be the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

The Committee recommends that the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board remain a statutory authority.

The Committee recommends that collocation shall occur unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Minister that it is inappropriate.

The Committee recommends that the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board continue to exist.

The Committee recommends that:
• The Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board extend it role to include emergency medical response.
• The Emergency response component of all Victorian Ambulance services report to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

The Committee recommends that one standard model of fire cover be developed for Victoria as a matter of urgency.

The Committee recommends that a new Board be appointed, consisting of nine members nominated by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services and including the Chief Executive Officer who shall not be Chairman.

The Committee recommends that the Bureau of Emergency Services Telecommunications Centre extend its services as a commercial venture to smaller government agencies who could not develop such a dedicated system.

It is inappropriate for an emergency services provider to develop its own standards, core objectives and functions. The Committee recommends that these be the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

The Committee recommends that the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board remain a statutory authority.

The Committee recommends that collocation shall occur unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Minister that it is inappropriate.

The Committee recommends that the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board continue to exist.

The Committee recommends that:
• The Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board extend it role to include emergency medical response.
• The Emergency response component of all Victorian Ambulance services report to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

The Committee recommends that one standard model of fire cover be developed for Victoria as a matter of urgency.

It is recommended that it [The Fire Brigade] endeavour and be encouraged to add to its reserve of members, and that the reserves be fully and efficiently trained. Should fire on a wide, unbroken front attack the town, the brigade, if limited to its present numbers, could not be expected to be able to save the town.

It is recommended that all members of the police force, members of brigades, municipal engineers and forest officers should be appointed as wardens.

It is recommended that the functions of this authority should be primarily those of defining a general policy of prevention and suppression of bush fires and protection of life and property; of organizing and recruiting local brigades; of maintaining discipline of local brigades and over local fire authorities; and of acting independently, with or without such advice as it may care to take.

It is strongly recommended that no public department of possible combination of public departments interested in forests should be permitted to gain control of this authority.

The institution of a State Fire Authority is recommended.

It is recommended that each public department or body which may now or hereafter control forest areas be allowed to pursue its own policy of fire prevention and suppression. As each such body is responsible directly or indirectly to Parliament it must be allowed to carry its responsibility in its own manner. It is strongly recommended that no such department be given authority over any other body in matters relating to fire prevention or suppression. If it is ultimately shown that a department is unfit to discharge the duty involved other measures may be taken.

It is recommended that each forestry officer should be stationed in one district for as long a time as is practicable consistent with justice to the officer.