SES health warning

[Darren]

I didn't realise SES were the health authority in SA now, the SES have taken the joke factor to a new level......and the warning tones......hmmmmm  :roll:

[6739264]

SES Ambulances coming to a street near you, with Standard Emergency Warning Tone as the siren...

[Zippy]

Numbers....

[chook]

108—Functions and powers
(1) SASES has the following functions:
(a) to assist the Commissioner of Police in dealing with any emergency;
(b) to assist the State Co-ordinator, in accordance with the State Emergency
Management Plan, in carrying out prevention, preparedness, response or
recovery operations under the Emergency Management Act 2004;(c) to assist SAMFS and SACFS in dealing with any emergency;
(d) to deal with any emergency—
(i) where the emergency is caused by flood or storm damage; or
(ii) where there is no other body or person with lawful authority to
assume control of operations for dealing with the emergency;(e) to deal with any emergency until such time as any other body or person that
has lawful authority to assume control of operations for dealing with the
emergency has assumed control;
(f) to respond to emergency calls and, where appropriate, provide assistance in
any situation of need whether or not the situation constitutes an emergency;
(g) to undertake rescues;
(h) to perform any other function assigned to SASES by or under this or any
other Act.
Now do you really think that the CEO of the SES would be acting on their own?
After the last 48 hours wouldn't you think that parts of the Emergency management plan would start to be enacted?
And the Commissioner of police may have had something to do with it? (afterall the are in charge of the plan) for those who don't know the use of the SEWS is serious business & not just done for a joke!
Instead of making comments do your self a favour enrol in the emergency management & disaster management course, and then you will be enlightened :wink: And before you ask I've done mine very enlightening also watch the ABC news it's filtered serious!

[jaff]

Do you guys check prostrates as well ......... Chook I am sure you have done "all" the courses, do you seriously think the general public is going to listen to "JOE the plummer SES" giving advice on hot weather and the need for hydration! jeeeeezus :|
Health experts, are called that for a reason!

[misterteddy]

maybe all the tree down jobs will start to morph into air con deliveries

[chook]

Maybe they will when that horrible SEWS noise is used - you are having a shot at the wrong people - it could have been CFS who were ordered by the Commisioner (read premier) to issue the warning.
i've read the JOINT media release & it makes perfect sense!
Very good information, to help people cope with a serious situation.
Can't see what the issue is - in every other state this type of non fire/hazmat emergency would be handled by - guess who!
As I said this decision would have been taken at the highest levels in the state - SEWS tende to panic people (like in Sydney on Friday when they played it through load speakers as a test).
cheers

[misterteddy]

in every other state I've been a part of....issues of public health are handled by....guess who, the people responsible...the health professionals, not the tree or flood professionals

I'm seriously not having too much of a dip at SES Chook.....its the dumbarse people that make these decisions.....I'd be interested in what SAAS view is, cant see them being hugely happy...... Boredy....wheres Boredy when I need him

[chook]

Never heard of the Health dept issuing an emergency message accompanied by a SEW in any of the states I have lived in (Vic -several times,NSW -several times, QLD) or worked in (NT & WA). Agreed Health are the experts in this area but are not an ESO i.e. covered by the Fire & emergency Services act or Emergency Management act (sadly neither are SAAS). Now this may be an oversight & personally I think it was wrong that SAAS wasn't lumped in with us (Emergency Services) since St John's is mentioned in the EM Act.
Prior to the announcement Health, Police, Premiers office, the heads of the 3 ESO's & others (possibly even SAAS) would have met, considered the emergency that is/ has developed or will be developing & it's possible consequences. And  decided that this was a good idea! Health/SAAS are not authorised to use the Standard Emergency Warning System -again an oversite perhaps but thats the way it is.
Finally a bit of history. About the middle of 1974 the Natural Disasters Organisation (NDO) was formed. This was bought about to effectively plan & manage Natural disasters. At that time the states agreed to rename their civil defence organisations to reflect the fact that they would also be planning, educating, combating Natural Disasters (non fire) as well as their Civil defence responsibilities. Our constitution places the responsibilities for the day to day management of ND's at the state & territories feet.
These organisations were called the State/Territory Emergency Services! (NSW had this organisation years before but amalgamated it with CD to be inline with the other states. Since that time SES/TES have been closely link with the planning & high level combat of ND's (non fire) in every state. If you read the SDP's, RDP's or LDP's of any of the states you will see that SES is heavily involved (even in the Flu Pandemic). In recent years the SEW has been re-invented to warn the great unwashed of impending major emergencies (why not it works well with cyclones). Heatwaves are considered a major emergency (check out the EMA website), & more people have died in Adelaide in the last 48 hours from heat than in recent bush fires, ambulances are streached & the modern suburbanised average person isn't used to living without their air con's etc.
Perfect reason for the warning, maybe just a bit late - there is a lot more to emergency management than flash uniforms & flashing lights remember PPRR?
And before anyone corrects th actual dates - some of the states took longer than others to change remember governments tend to be a bit slow :wink:
cheers

[Dave O]

SA govt are now alerting everyone by text this evening.

[Zippy]

so thats where all the economy is going....19 ## ## services....

[Alan J]

Could not believe my ears.  Or eyes.
Date: Jan 31, 10:53PM -
"For urgent assistance phone 000. Do not reply to this message. IMPORTANT S.A. GOVERNMENT HEAT HEALTH WARNING: Heat stress can kill: Stay cool: Stay inside: Drink plenty of water: Check the safety of vulnerable neighbours: Listen to your radio." (at 22:53 ??? yeah, right!!)

Good idea, but would have been better a LOT earlier in the day.  Or week.

[straps]

I haven't seen or heard the material that has been mentioned however need to correct a couple of things. The text below in italics is taken from the State Emergency Management Plan SA (2005). This Plan is currently being reviewed and due for republish this year.

"The SEWS is only to be used in threatening circumstances when it is necessary for the population to take some action to reduce potential loss to life or property"

"Care must be taken to maintain the status and effectiveness of the signal by limiting its use to significant events as determined by the Control Agency in close consultation with the Coordinating Agency."
These may include:
• Major urban or rural fires;
• Severe weather;
• Major flooding and/or dam burst;
• Major Earthquakes;
• Major hazardous material emergencies;
• Major pollution emergencies;
• Human caused events;
• Tsunami, and/or
• Terrorism.

"The decision to use SEWS and to broadcast / transmit an emergency warning rests with the relevant Control Agency who will advise the Coordinating Agency as soon as practicable."

"The SEWS is only to be used under strict instruction. It can only be broadcast when approved by a 'State Controller', who is authorised under Section 17 of the Emergency Management Act 2004."

Based upon the above, and 'assuming' that the 'heatwave' has been considered a Health related emergency, this would mean that the Department of Health are the Control Agency and as such their State Controller (Dr Bill Griggs) or rostered other deputy Controller can then use SEWS in accordance with the above info.

SAAS are not considered a Control Agency, however they lead the Ambulance and First Aid Functional Service, which is a separate functional service to Health.

If from what the above posts describe, that SES used SEWS and posted information relation to the current Heatwave emergency, then I too would be a little confuzzled as I would have thought it would be a DoH job.. The current Plan clearly has DoH as the Control Agency for Health related emergencies. SES are considered for "severe weather" and as such if this was not considered a health related emergency but rather one of severe weather then SES would indeed be the Control Agency.

Also where an emergency exists you can only have ONE Control Agency and the current plan is designed to ensure that there is a Control Agency from the start and no transference of Control during emergencies (except under temporary arrangements such as fire or rescue requirements exists).

Maybe they will when that horrible SEWS noise is used - you are having a shot at the wrong people - it could have been CFS who were ordered by the Commissioner (read premier) to issue the warning.

The State Coordinator (under the SEMP) is the Commissioner of Police (or rostered deputy) not the Premier and when acting as the State Coordinator during emergencies he relinquishes his police responsibilities. The Premier chairs the Emergency Management Council, which comprises of;
• Treasurer
• Attorney-General
• Minister for Agriculture Food and Fisheries
• Minister for Police
• Minister for Emergency Services
• Minister for Transport
• Minister for Health

Below them is the SA Emergency Management Committee which comprises of

• Chief Officers of ESO
  Commissioner of Police
  CEO's of 9 Government Agencies
  Local Government rep.

Cheers
Shane

[rescue5271]

How filtered rude of them TXT me at 2345hrs about the heat/health warning you think we dont already know its filtered hot and how many young people are going to read a TXT on a saturday if they are out on the town and drinking???

[chook]

Thanks Shane for the clarification -was trying to put it in very simple terms. Don't have access to the plan any longer.
And I was pointing out that the state coordinator could have directed whom ever they chose to authorise the use of SEWS.
Interestingly in Victoria the deputy commissioner issued a similar warning directly to the media (without SEWS?).
Obviously SA decided it was a severe weather event (Noshit)- hence the joint statement.
And yeah I thought the timing of the txt message was a bit dumb.
cheers

[Alan J]

I suppose it should be noted to allow the DoH some reasonable doubt, that SMS's are notoriously prone to delayed transmission. The SMS *may* have been sent many hours earlier...

I still wonder how the list of phone numbers was developed... SES & CFS Volunteers & staff contacts out of TAS?  Employment records ? Main Roads license/rego databases?

Health Dept patient records would seem to me to be the only legit database if it was a DoH broadcast. Data-sharing between departments is a privacy grey area... Doesn't seem to me to have been considered under Emergency or Disaster provisions.

cheers

[Robert-Robert34]

I didnt get an sms about this health/heat warning at all on my mobile phone and im a vodafone customer  :roll:

[mattb]

The superintendant of SAPOL Corporate Communications who organised it was on the ABC this morning and said that it was organised by Telstra, and all Telstra mobile phone users in SA would receive the message. They will be still delivered today for about another 5 hours.

When the issue of cost was raised he said it was a 'Community Service Announcement' which means either Telstra are doing it for free or the government are picking up the tab and he didn't want to be drawn into it.

For info I got my message at 23:30, a little earlier would have been nicer.

[6739264]

I think it's a good idea, but perhaps in the future they could well kick it off a little earlier.

[jaff]

I didnt get an sms about this health/heat warning at all on my mobile phone and im a vodafone customer  :roll:

Are you gettin the hint yet Rob :evil:

[chook]

At least you are getting something - its the same temp here & nothing!
could be one of two reasons - country people can handle the heat (well thats bs have been dealing with heaps of complaints at work since the heatwave began, & having to remind everyone to take regular breaks, drink water & keep out of the sun every day) or two its not happening in Sydney so who cares? & we aren't having power problems (yet)
See your government does care! :wink:

[misterteddy]

dear god, I never thought i would be happy to see a day when I was thankful for being a 3 customer....until today

What a nanny state we live in.

Would we have the need for such silly warnings if there was plenty of available water and u could turn the sprinkler on like when we were kids?......or the electricity didnt fail every 20 mins meaning ur a/c could stay on all day?

Maybe we could spend more collective effort sorting that scheiße out than fancy arse sms warnings that will just boost Telsra earnings with Taxpayers money (cos there is no way they will do it for free)

[chook]

Guess thats what happens when you sell off your public utilities :evil:
Yep welcome to the modern world = did you see the woman from melbourne sooking?
"Its hot, no power, no public transport the place is un safe moving back to Sydney or Perth" filtered me!
It's the same as when someone gets blind drunk, gets in his car & succeeds in killing himself - family sues the pub because they let him get pissed!
Welcome to my world :-D the place is filtered!!!