Victoria State Emergency Service
Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) is a volunteer-based organisation responding to natural disasters and working to ensure the safety of communities around Victoria, Australia. Each State and territory of Australia has its own independent State Emergency Service (SES), and VICSES is only one of these services spread across Australia. At times of great need or catastrophic disaster, it is common that assistance be sought from other states.
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Corporate Logo | |
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Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1975 |
Preceding agency |
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Jurisdiction | Victoria |
Headquarters | 168 Sturt Street, Southbank, Victoria, Australia |
Employees | Paid and Voluntary
Volunteers 5,000 Staff 200 |
Agency executives |
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Website | ses |
VICSES is the lead agency when responding to floods, storms, tsunami and earthquakes as well as operating the largest network of road rescue units in Australia and one of the largest in the world.
VICSES also provides assistance to other emergency services such as Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, The Country Fire Authority (CFA) and to municipal councils in planning and auditing their emergency management plans.
There are more than 5,000 volunteers and 200 employees[1] spread across 150 units that are committed and dedicated volunteers around the state who provide these services 24 hours a day, seven days a week and every day of the year in Victoria.[2]
Responsibilities
Control Agency
Activities
In addition to its control agency functions, VICSES has a shared responsibility for rescues with the CFA and MFB.
VICSES along with other emergency services in Victoria, provide specialist response functions including:
- Road Rescue
- High Angle Rescue
- Industrial Rescue
- Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
- Search and Rescue (SAR)
- Alpine Search and Rescue (ASAR)
- Swift Water Rescue
- Marine Search and Rescue (MSAR)
- General Land Rescue
VICSES is also called upon to assist other agencies with unique tasks, some include:
- Victoria Police
- Crime scene preservation
- Evidence search
- General assistance (lighting, temporary power, ladders, etc.).
- Ambulance Victoria
- Assist with patient carryouts
- Assist paramedics in difficult terrain (4WD/ATV/BOAT)
- Country Fire Authority
- Staging area management
- Incident Management
- Environmental Protection Authority
- Deployment of air quality monitoring equipment
Regions
VICSES is broken into 6 regions that cover the state of Victoria
- Central Region (Melbourne Metropolitan)
- East Region (Gippsland)
- Mid West Region (Grampians)
- North East Region (Hume)
- North West Region (Loddon Malle)
- South West Region (Barwon South West)
Region Map |
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Ranks
Volunteer Insignia
Section Leader | Deputy Controller | Unit Controller |
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Staff Insignia
Operations Officer | Operations Manager | Assistant Chief Officer | Deputy Chief Officer | Chief Officer |
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Units
Central Region
Unit | Location | Other Links | Rescue(s) | General Rescue(s) | Support(s) | Other | Special Skill Set | Notes |
Brimbank | ||||||||
Broadmeadows | ||||||||
Central East RHQ Unit | ||||||||
Central West RHQ Unit | ||||||||
Chelsea | 99 Scotch Parade,
Bonbeach VIC 3196 |
Website | 1 | 2 | 2 – Four-Wheel Drives | 2 – Boats
1 – Lighting Trailer 1 – Pump Trailer 1 – Sand Bag Trailer 1 – General Purpose Trailer |
Boat Rescue
Land Based Swift Water Rescue Air Observer |
Chelsea SES Unit's history can be traced back to 1953 making it one of the longest, continuous serving units assisting the community
This unit is Junior Accredited allowing the unit to train children between the ages of 16 – 17 years old |
Craigieburn | ||||||||
Emerald | ||||||||
Essendon | 9 Rutherford St,
Aberfeldie VIC 3039 |
Boat Rescue
Land Based Swift Water Rescue |
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Footscray | ||||||||
Frankston | 6 McMannis Way,
Seaford VIC 3198 |
Website | 3 | 0 | 3 – Four-Wheel Drives | 1 – Mini-bus
2 – Boats |
Road Crash Rescue
Boat Rescue |
This unit is Junior Accredited allowing the unit to train children between the ages of 16 – 17 years old |
Glen Eira | Formerly Oakleigh Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | |||||||
Greater Dandenong | Formerly Springvale Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | |||||||
Hastings | ||||||||
Healesville | ||||||||
Hobsons Bay | Formerly Altona Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | |||||||
Knox | ||||||||
Lilydale | ||||||||
Malvern | ||||||||
Manningham | Formerly Doncaster Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | |||||||
Maroondah | Formerly Croydon Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | |||||||
Melton | ||||||||
Monash | Formerly Waverley Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | |||||||
Moorabbin | ||||||||
Narre Warren | ||||||||
Nillumbik | 58 Susan Street, Eltham, Victoria, 3088 | Website | 1 x Heavy Rescue
1 x Rescue Support |
1 x Storm GPT | 1 x 4WD
1 x Ranger |
1 x Lighting Trailer
1 x Sandbag Filler Trailer 1 x Toilet Trailer |
Road Crash Rescue
Technical Rescue – Steep Angle Rope Rescue (multi-agency team with CFA) Air Search Observers |
Formerly Eltham Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 |
Northcote | ||||||||
Pakenham | ||||||||
Port Phillip | Formerly St Kilda Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | |||||||
Sorrento | ||||||||
Sunbury | ||||||||
Upper Yarra | ||||||||
Whitehorse | Formerly Nunawading Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | |||||||
Whittlesea | ||||||||
Wyndham | ||||||||
Wyndham West |
East Region
Unit | Location | Other Links | Notes |
East Regional Support | |||
Bairnsdale | |||
Bendoc | |||
Bruthen | |||
Buchan | |||
Cann River | |||
Erica | |||
Foster | |||
Inverloch | |||
Leongatha | |||
Loch Sport | |||
Maffra | |||
Mallacoota | |||
Moe | |||
Morwell | |||
Orbost | |||
Phillip Island | |||
Rosedale | |||
Sale | |||
San Remo | |||
Stratford | |||
Tambo Valley | Formerly Swifts Creek Unit, name changed on 1 November 2018 | ||
Warragul | |||
Wonthaggi | |||
Yarram |
Mid West Region
Unit | Location | Other Links | Notes |
Ararat | |||
Bacchus Marsh | |||
Ballarat | |||
Dimboola | |||
Dunmunkle | Formerly known as Rupanyup Unit, name changed on 30 June 2014 | ||
Edenhope | |||
Goroke | |||
Hepburn Shire | |||
Horsham | |||
Kaniva | |||
Mid West Region Support | |||
Nhill | |||
St Arnaud | |||
Stawell | |||
Warracknabeal |
North East Region
Unit | Location | Other Links | Notes |
Alexandra | |||
Beechworth | |||
Benalla | |||
Bright | |||
Chiltern | |||
Cobram | |||
Corryong | |||
Euroa | |||
Falls Creek | |||
Kilmore | |||
Kinglake | |||
Mansfield | |||
Marysville | |||
Mitta Mitta | |||
Murchison | |||
Myrtleford | |||
Numurkah | |||
Regional Headquarters Unit | |||
Rutherglen | |||
Seymour | |||
Shepparton SAR | |||
Tallangatta | |||
Tatura | |||
Wangaratta | |||
Wodonga | |||
Yackandandah | |||
Yarrawonga |
North West Region
Unit | Location | Other Links | Notes |
Bendigo | |||
Birchip | |||
Castlemaine | |||
Dunolly | |||
Echuca | |||
Gisborne | |||
Heathcote | |||
Kerang | |||
Kyabram | |||
Marong | |||
Maryborough | |||
Mildura | |||
Murrayville | |||
North West RSU | |||
Ouyen | |||
Robinvale | |||
Rochester | |||
Rushworth | |||
Swan Hill | |||
Wedderburn | |||
Woodend | |||
Woomelang | |||
Wycheproof |
South West Region
Unit | Location | Other Links | Notes |
Balmoral | |||
Bannockburn | |||
Bellarine | |||
Camperdown | |||
Cobden | |||
Colac | |||
Corio | |||
Dartmoor | |||
Dunkeld | |||
Geelong | |||
Hamilton | |||
Heywood | |||
Lismore | |||
Lorne | |||
Mortlake | |||
Otway | |||
Port Campbell | |||
Port Fairy | |||
Portland | |||
RSU | |||
South Barwon | |||
Terang | |||
Torquay | |||
Warrnambool | |||
Winchelsea |
Volunteers Association
Volunteers and Units are represented by the Victoria State Emergency Service Volunteers Association (VICSESVA) which was formed in 1983.
The Association's role is to advocate for VICSES volunteers by raising issues that impact on skills, training, funding, equipment, ethics & safety. VICSESVA is a non-profit association run and managed by VICSES Volunteers.
References
- "SES – Who We Are". www.ses.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- "Victoria State Emergency Service". Victoria SES.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Victoria State Emergency Service. |