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.

Victoria State Emergency Service
Flag
Corporate Logo

Emblem
Agency overview
Formed1975
Preceding agency
  • Civil Defence Organisation
JurisdictionVictoria
Headquarters168 Sturt Street, Southbank, Victoria, Australia
EmployeesPaid and Voluntary

Volunteers 5,000

Staff 200
Agency executives
  • Stephen Griffin, Chief Executive Officer
  • Tim Wiebusch, Chief Officer Operations
  • Kate White, Director Community Resilience and Communications
  • John Casey, Director Corporate Services
  • Katrina Bahen, Director Human Resources
  • Silvia Silverii, Chief Information Officer
Websiteses.vic.gov.au

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

Support agency
  • Country Fire Authority (CFA)
  • Victoria Police (VICPOL)
  • Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) [Previously known as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB)]
  • Ambulance Victoria (AV)
  • Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)

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:

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

Ranks

Volunteer Insignia
Section Leader Deputy Controller Unit Controller

Staff Insignia
Operations Officer Operations Manager Assistant Chief Officer Deputy Chief Officer Chief Officer

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

Google Maps

 Website

Facebook

Instagram

 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

Google Maps

 Facebook Boat Rescue

Land Based Swift Water Rescue
Footscray
Frankston 6 McMannis Way,

Seaford VIC 3198

Google Maps

 Website

Facebook

 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

Facebook

 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
VICSESVA Corporate Logo

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.

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See also

References
  1. "SES – Who We Are". www.ses.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  2. "Victoria State Emergency Service". Victoria SES.
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