INQ156

The Victoria State Emergency Service finalise its development of strategic emergency response management plans including severe weather and storm events.

The integrated Emergency Coordination Centre be utilised during all significant multi-agency or multi-incident events with effective liaison with the State Emergency Response Coordinator.

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.

Electricity distribution businesses develop and implement alternative arrangements for monitoring fallen powerlines.

The Department of Primary Industries should establish a senior emergency management position to strengthen the Department’s role in emergency management.

The Department of Primary Industries responsibility for emergency management within the energy sector needs to be reinforced consistent with Recommendation 5.

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

The Victoria State Emergency Service improve its communication with local governments, especially in relation to severe weather and storm warning information.

The review of the municipal emergency management planning guidelines being led by the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner clarify local governments’ role in community information about emergencies.

The electricity distribution businesses and retailers work with the Department of Human Services and hospitals to review the registration, notification and removal process for those on life support machinery.

Energy Safe Victoria finalise the development of the passport system to improve interstate mutual aid arrangements allowing operator access to qualified interstate power restoration personnel.

The Department of Primary Industries should work through the appropriate Ministerial Councils to seek alignment of competency standards for line workers across jurisdictions.

The Bureau of Meteorology contact list for severe weather warning be strategically managed in consultation with Emergency Service Organisations, to identify critical contacts. The Bureau of Meteorology must ensure the detail for these critical contacts remains up to date.

Emergency Service Organisations work with government departments, local governments and private industry to identify and implement a model for communication flow during an emergency incident.

The Department of Primary Industries, Department of Premier and Cabinet, and the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner review and clarify energy sector emergency event trigger points for the activation of Central Government Response Committee.

The Department of Primary Industries clearly document responsibilities within the Department to ensure better co-ordination of public information during emergencies.

The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority, in partnership with Telstra, consider technological solutions to streamline the handover process for Triple Zero calls.

The Country Fire Authority review their procedures regarding receipt of Triple Zero calls on the Brigade Spectrum Preset Conference including training material, testing procedures and interface back to the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority Computer Aided Dispatch system.

The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority in partnership with Telstra should develop testing regimes that will ensure the integrity of the call queue arrangements and correct configuration of the Recorded Voice Announcements.

Emergency Service Organisations review their use of Emergency Alerting System paging message categories to ensure that priority messages are not compromised by inappropriate use.

The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority develop a protocol to direct the suspension or cessation of scheduled telecommunication maintenance or testing to emergency alert systems during an emergency event.

The Emergency Service Organisations and the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority agree on the direct telephone numbers to be used for contacting the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority in relation to emergency incidents.

The Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner facilitate further research into technologies that will reduce the need for the public to speak to an operator during an emergency as a component of the proposed emergency warning and alert system and Victorian Emergency Information Line.

Victoria progress, as a matter of priority, a telephony based public emergency notification system to reduce demand on Triple Zero and other emergency telephone lines during a major emergency.

The Australian Broadcast Corporation and Emergency Services Organisations redevelop the protocols for the use of the Memorandum of Understanding; and all relevant emergency services and ABC staff are trained in the use of the protocols.

The Victoria State Emergency Service, Department of Primary Industries, Energy Safe Victoria and the energy sector develop a coordinated set of safety messaging about preparedness for storm events and clearly outline the responsibilities for delivering these messages before during and after an em

Victoria’s emergency management arrangements as they relate to the Emergency Management Joint Public Information Committee be enhanced to include greater clarity of its operational role in the Emergency Management Manual Victoria.

The operational protocols of the Emergency Management Joint Public Information Committee be formally endorsed by the State Emergency Response Planning Committee and the Victorian Emergency Management

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 Primary Industries in consultation with the energy sector develop and implement a Memorandum of Understanding or similar authorising instrument that provides a single contact for emergency

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 electricity distribution businesses enhance power outage information on their websites which are accessible to electricity retail businesses, the media and the public and also consider improving their capacity to communicate with customers.

All Victorians should:
• make sure that they have a plan for severe storms which includes:
- an emergency kit (batteries, torch, radio with batteries, spare medication etc)
- actions to protect their family, property and pets

The Victoria State Emergency Service work with the electricity distribution businesses, Department of Primary Industries and Energy Safe Victoria to develop and implement a joint community education program for public safety during and after storms and power outages.

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.