Yep it does - it also changes the way things are handled.
Pip you are right, you can just ask - that was a change after Newcastle Earthquake but who will foot the bill? A declaration puts the costs onto the Feds. "Note:
On occasions when there is immediate risk to safety of life or property, State authorities may seek immediate assistance directly from local Australian Defence Force Units to alleviate that risk." EMA web site
My first experience with wildfire was in the army (Ash Wednesday fires 1983)
Who else can mobilise 400 trained & disciplined troops 50 trucks, three helo's (including a Chinook), three bulldozers + lowloaders that are totally self sufficient in 24 hrs? and that was for only one part of the fire! Plus they have movement specialist who could have handled the transport of crews to & from the KI without a lot of the ballsups that occurred - sitting at an airfield waiting for a plane to come that kept getting delayed is no fun!
And you talk about showers, the military have them on tap - so to speak
Not sure if they still have them, but we had 6 36,000 litre water tankers (3 active 3 in storage)+ numerous rigid tankers. And no weight restrictions (the military don't have to follow state laws if they don't want too).
So there is a lot of capability there, more than people realise (Charleville 1989 they looked after the whole town of over 3000 people for 7 days during the floods the local airport was one of the busiest in the country that week!).
So hope that answers some of the questions, and yes they are a bit stretched but there is still enough capacity for Emergency Management.
cheers
