Victorian Floods

[bajdas]

This is abit old but thought others might be interested. I think three sets of crews to QLD and one to VIC thus far, over a period of a few weeks.
============================================
Media Release
State Emergency Service

For media enquiries telephone the SES Media Line on (08) 8211 6176
For SES response in storms or floods telephone 132 500. If the matter is life threatening telephone 000
For further information on the services provided by the SES go to www.ses.sa.gov.au

SES crews provide flood assistance in Victoria
Monday, 17 January 2011

The South Australian State Emergency Service (SASES) has begun the deployment of staff and volunteers to assist flood-affected communities in Victoria.

The first contingent comprising five Incident Management personnel, three SES volunteers and two staff members left Adelaide tonight and will arrive in Horsham tomorrow morning.

Another group of 20 volunteers and a staff Task Force Commander will leave from Murray Bridge tomorrow at 7.30am.

SES Chief Officer Chris Beattie said the exercise follows another deployment of South Australian SES crews to flooded areas in Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley in Queensland last week.

"This level of response at this time of the year is unprecedented and our commitment to assist our interstate counterparts is matched by the willingness of our volunteers to be deployed on short notice," Mr Beattie said.

"The first group comprising the Incident Management Team will arrive in Horsham at 8am after an overnight stay in Nhill, with the second team leaving tomorrow and expected to arrive around midday."

The SES volunteers will assist their interstate counterparts with sandbagging and evacuation tasks in Horsham and surrounding areas.

"They will face a challenging task and will be confronted with devastating scenes but no doubt their presence will be welcomed by the many victims of flood ravaged areas across he border," Mr Beattie said.

"I am pleased with what we have been able to achieve over the past few days through our deployments in Queensland and now in Victoria which is a credit to the volunteers involved who will be proudly reflecting goodwill and mateship that is characteristic of South Australians."

The second deployment will depart from the SES centre in Thomas Street, Murray Bridge at 7.30 tomorrow morning.

[bajdas]

Source: http://www.ses.sa.gov.au/site/home.jsp

Media Release
State Emergency Service
         Thanks to SA volunteers for an outstanding effort
                                             Monday, 24 January 2011

The South Australia State Emergency Service (SASES) has welcomed back all of their volunteers and staff that have been away helping their interstate counterparts through some of the worst extreme weather events in Australia's history. In total, the SASES deployed 60 volunteers and three staff members to Queensland, and 23 volunteers and three staff members to Victoria.

(A list of volunteers and staff that were part of the deployments is attached).

SASES Chief Officer Chris Beattie said that he was tremendously proud of all SASES members who put themselves forward to help.

"Our volunteers have selflessly given their time and shown an extraordinary commitment to assist and protect communities in Queensland and Victoria. I was impressed at the number of volunteers who did not give a second thought to putting their names forward. I sincerely thank them for their efforts and for taking time away from their own lives," said Mr Beattie.

"The recent deployments demonstrate how highly the SASES volunteers and staff are regarded within the SES community across Australia."

"The SES is one big family and we work together. If South Australia was faced with such a disaster I know our interstate colleagues would be right here with us, helping us to protect and defend what is important to us."

"There is no doubt the task that lies ahead for our counterparts in Queensland and Victoria is certainly daunting. The scale of the flooding events has been almost unimaginable and all Australians have been shocked by it."

Mr Beattie stressed that people need to be aware of the devastating impact that floods and storms can have on a community.

"Many people may not realise that in a typical year in South Australia, floods and storms account for well in excess of 50% of the overall economic costs of all natural hazards, including bushfire. Therefore, being prepared for floods and storms should be a high priority for all South Australians."

"A prepared community is better able to respond to and recover from an emergency and when the weather is fine, that is an ideal time to put in place measures to protect property and make sure it is prepared for extreme weather conditions. I would also strongly encourage property owners to ensure that their building and contents insurance is current and adequate."

Mr Beattie said that the interstate deployments, as well as the extreme weather events experienced here in this State last December, demonstrates how fundamentally critical emergency services volunteers are to our communities.

"Our volunteers have a significant amount of expertise and the contribution they make to our communities and their intrinsic value cannot be underestimated."

"At the SES we are always looking for new members to join up and volunteering is a great way to meet new people and get involved in the community."

"I would strongly encourage anyone that would like to be involved in helping their fellow citizens in times of emergencies to find out more about volunteering for the SES. Not everyone has to be on the frontline, braving the extreme situations, we have many different roles, regardless of age, gender or background," said Mr Beattie.

The SES produces an information booklet which provides comprehensive information about the SES and how to become a volunteer. They also produce a brochure called Volunteering in a non-rescue role, which provides information about volunteer roles in areas such as community engagement, administration, communications and operational support. Both of these publications can be downloaded at
http://www.ses.sa.gov.au/site/publications/brochures.jsp

[bajdas]

Good luck and be safe to the volunteers and paid staff leaving for Mildura & Bendigo today. Especially the Riverland vols.
-----------------------------------------------
Media Release
State Emergency Service
         South Australians reminded to prepare their properties for extreme weather
                                         Sunday, 6 February 2011

As the State Emergency Service (SES) sends another four of its members to assist flood ravaged
Victoria, they are issuing a timely reminder for all South Australians that it is critical to make sure your property is prepared to withstand extreme weather conditions.

SES State Duty Officer Darryl Wright said that the SES has responded to more than 130 weather-
related incidents since Friday afternoon and that some of them could have been prevented through basic routine maintenance.

"Often taking simple measures such as clearing gutters and downpipes of leaves and debris can
make all the difference," said Mr Wright.

Mr Wright stressed that safety should be paramount when performing any maintenance task.
"People need to be mindful of their personal safety and that of others, and should make sure that they perform home maintenance tasks prior to extreme weather, not during it. It is also advisable to hire a professional tradesperson to undertake more high risk tasks."

Mr Wright acknowledged that sometimes property damage simply cannot be prevented and there
were examples of that over the weekend.

"The SES is very aware of the changeable nature of weather conditions and our volunteers are
always prepared and ready to respond to calls for assistance."

The SES advises that during periods of fine weather, it is an ideal time to put in place measures to protect property and make sure it is prepared for extreme weather. People should ensure:
    •   Overhanging branches are trimmed
    •   Gutters and downpipes are cleared of leaves and debris
    •   Roofing is properly maintained and there are no loose roof tiles
    •   Building and contents insurance is current and adequate.

The SA SES is sending four Incident Management Team (IMT) personnel, consisting of three
staff members and one volunteer, to Victoria today to assist with operations at the Bendigo
IMT. They will depart from Adelaide Airport at 1:25pm and are likely to return to Adelaide on
Friday 11 February.