St John Ambulance should develop quantitative performance targets for community paramedics and report these to Western Australia Health

St John Ambulance should explore opportunities for extending the community paramedic model to other areas of identified need

St John Ambulance should build on its regionalisation model and improve engagement with local services in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions

The Department of Human Services should develop an improved model for communication for future disasters that provides a single point of information and contact for disaster affected communities

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 Department of Justice should review the current model for rapid impact assessment to improve the quality of the information collected.

Regional Development Victoria should implement the recommendations from the Department of Planning and Community Development's review of the Community Recovery Fund to improve the delivery of relief and recovery programs in the future.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet should lead: x the development of an evaluation framework, based on work undertaken to date by the Department of Human Services, to be used in assessing the impact of relief and recovery programs in the recent floods and in future disaster events x an evaluat

Local Government Victoria should lead the design and implementation of strategies to support councils to further develop social capital needed for recovery.

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

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

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.

Victoria Police should adequately train all frontline police managers to handle complex personal matters involving staff.

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 strengthen performance management of firefighter effectively manage personal unplanned leave

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

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

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

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

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

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

That bushfire agencies evaluate the use and effectiveness of fixed wing water bombing aircraft.

That fire agencies continue to develop their predictive modelling capability for use in actively managing fires.

That the role of Red Cross in emergency management plans and procedures for the activation of Red Cross be reviewed.

That the Government makes land use planning and building construction to prevent and mitigate bushfire risk a high priority and establishes a means to progress improvements in this area, such as a designated body or group, as soon as possible.

That in multi-agency response and recovery operations, arrangements be made so it is unambiguous who is in charge of these operations.

That Tasmania Police conducts a review to ensure emergency management is treated as a priority and a core function throughout the organisation, including the development of contemporary capabilities, and is supported by an appropriate culture.

That the State Emergency Management Committee ensures that a program of debriefing on recovery issues is completed by all relevant agencies and organisations, and detailed plans and operating procedures are established ready for implementation.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews operational practices to ensure there is continuity of fire operations when fire suppression action is required.

That resources are committed to developing and implementing approved reforms to the emergency management arrangements.

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

That police and other emergency service agencies establish and maintain effective recording systems for emergency operations.

That bushfire agencies develop procedures for the automatic activation of aircraft to fires at pre-determined trigger points on high fire risk days.

That Tasmania Fire Service promotes a structured approach to research across Australia, to provide a shared understanding and the capacity to benchmark and judge performance.

That the plans for social recovery be reviewed, and plans and procedures are established ready for implementation.

That Tasmania Fire Service or another suitable agency provides information to the community which shows, in simple form, the legislation applicable to approvals for lighting fires on private property and the various relationships between that legislation.

That the Department of Justice conduct an independent review to develop a suitable model for integrated and interoperable emergency management arrangements in Tasmania.

That Tasmania Police establishes a section within its structure with responsibility for developing and maintaining contemporary expertise in emergency management, progressing innovation, assisting organisational change initiatives and supporting its responsibilities in state emergency management

That suitable facilities are established from which to effectively control and coordinate immediate recovery operations.

That Tasmania Fire Service, Forestry Tasmania, and Parks and Wildlife Service have a process for ensuring fire strategy and tactics are appropriate and remain focussed.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its approach to blacking out and mopping up, including its policies, operating procedures and training.

That a bushfire community education and information strategy be professionally developed and coordinated across the fire authorities by Tasmania Fire Service.

That if a sound business case is developed, the Emergency Information Management and Sharing Project be supported.

That bushfire agencies develop, implement and maintain air operations procedures.

That a process be established for the timely implementation of approved recommendations from the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

That Tasmania Fire Service conducts a review of the fire permit system in the Fire Service Act 1979, and implements change to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system by: • considering whether it is appropriate to authorise persons or organisations to conduct fuel reduction burning

That Tasmania Police develops and implements a program for examining emergency management arrangements and facilities in Australia.

That an exercise program — to establish and maintain an acceptable state of readiness for agencies and organisations required to be involved in emergency operations — be developed and implemented.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its approach to fire management operations at night, and develop and effectively implement unambiguous policy and operating procedures.

That the State Emergency Management Committee develops and coordinates a whole-of-government community resilience strategy for emergencies in a form that can be practically implemented, as a priority.

That Tasmania Fire Service establishes suitable systems and practices for recording fire management objectives and tactics.

That a review be conducted of the resource capacity and capability to provide effective and efficient emergency operations, including approved improvements.

That membership of the State Emergency Management Committee, and other processes to link in appropriate agencies and organisations to emergency management, be included in the recommended review of the emergency management arrangements.

That training and development of personnel to establish a suitable state of readiness, be included in the recommended review by Tasmania Police of its approach to emergency management.

That Tasmania Fire Service establishes sufficient resources and expertise to research, develop, implement and review its policies and operations.

That further options to appropriately supplement the resources available for emergency management operations be examined.

That an accountability process be established for managing improvement in the emergency management arrangements, including annual State of Readiness Reports by relevant departments and agencies and on the overall emergency management arrangements.

That the State Fire Management Committee note the decline in machinery and skilled operators from the forestry industry in the private sector and determines how this reduction in fire management capability can be addressed.

That Tasmania Fire Service documents and publishes its operational policies and procedures so they are accessible to and suitable for operational personnel.

That the police and other emergency service organisations discuss their resource issues for emergency operations with the Government.

That the Strategic Fuel Management Plan includes measurable targets and they are actively monitored and reported on to the community.

That the Government reconsider the current position on emergency declarations in the Emergency Management Act 2006 and the Act is amended to provide: • a graduated scale of emergency declarations; • the ability to make a declaration when an emergency has occurred, is occurring or is about to occu

That Tasmania Police ensures planning for emergency operations includes a proactive approach wherever possible.

That an independent means of monitoring and reporting on the implementation of approved recommendations is established.

That the Tasmania Emergency Management Plan enable, and all organisations with a role in emergency management activate, emergency plans at lower threshold events to practice their arrangements and achieve a ‘hot start’ in escalating events.

That action be taken as a priority to resolve any legal issues on mutual assistance arrangement for fire services.

That a standing plan is developed to manage the transition from immediate recovery to medium and long-term recovery, and arrangements are made to ensure this plan can be effectively implemented in a timely way.

That all agencies and the Government support moving to an integrated communications technology for police and the emergency services.

That a public information plan be developed as a part of the State Special Emergency Plan–Recovery, for implementation in the immediate recovery phase.

That the State Special Emergency Plan–Recovery and the emergency management structure for recovery be reviewed.

That the resources available to the Parks and Wildlife Service, to manage bushfire risk following the recent increase in land under its tenure, is reviewed.

That police and other emergency services examine options for achieving radio interoperability between them in the absence of an integrated radio system.

That the Government consider whether it should discuss options for greater mobile phone coverage and redundancy in areas of high risk in emergency situations where there are presently telecommunications limits.

That the State Emergency Management Committee examine whether there are any legal issues associated with continuing recovery operations where the overarching emergency management arrangements have ceased.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews the communication systems used for all emergency management operations, ensures operators are qualified, and ensures there is appropriate accountability.

That Tasmania Fire Service actively uses predictive modelling to design emergency communications for communities threatened by bushfire, unless there is a compelling reason for not doing so.

That the State Fire Commission finalise its position on the Tasmania Bushfire Safety Policy without further delay.

That the legislation and enforcement arrangements are reviewed to ensure there are suitable offences and penalties, investigation and enforcement capabilities, and a rigorous approach is taken to breaches of the law.

That a specific risk prevention and mitigation advisory body be established for the State Emergency Management Committee.

That the Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources consult Aurora Energy on the use of wooden poles for overhead infrastructure with a view to mitigating the risk in bushfires.

That evacuation centres and other centres have a standard operating procedure for communications.

That Tasmania Fire Service ensures that the priority on warning communities at risk of active bushfires is not confined to when bushfires are burning out of control.

That a state-level policy on evacuations be developed in the emergency management plans, including specific requirements for vulnerable people and guidelines for its implementation.

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

That Tasmania Fire Service considers measures to bring local knowledge into Incident Management Team operations.

That the role and expected duties of the State Controller be clearly defined in the Emergency Management Act 2006.

That the State Fire Commission structures its Tasmania Bushfire Safety Policy so policy outcomes are identifiable and progress in achieving outcomes can be evaluated.

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

That the Government considers whether a peak body should be established, with authority to effectively implement a bushfire mitigation plan.

That the State Emergency Management Committee makes timely decisions and resource commitments on the appropriate use of social media in emergency management.

That qualifying the evacuation authority in section 47 of the Fire Service Act 1979 be considered — by exempting those people with a pecuniary interest in a property from a directed evacuation where it is reasonable for them to remain.

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 Tasmania Fire Service reviews its position on using local experienced officers on the fire ground in the command model in a structured and systemic way.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its position on fire ground management to determine whether a unified command model at the fire ground should be adopted.

That the Tasmanian Emergency Management Plan includes a comprehensive all hazards communications policy and plan.

That the State Fire Management Committee considers developing a structured, systemic and proactive bushfire hazard reduction program with municipal councils and Tasmania Fire Service; and advises the Government on any legislative or other changes required to implement such a program.

That the State Emergency Management Committee makes arrangements to actively manage the use of social media in the community during an emergency, to avoid negative consequences for emergency operations.

That arrangements are made and appropriate pre-planning occurs to effectively implement the policy on evacuation.