Emergency Management
The Department of Human Services Southern Metropolitan Region has two functions in the event of an emergency:
- Assist with response to public health emergencies, such as outbreaks of infectious disease, food or drinking water; contamination and biological and radiation incidents;
- Plan and coordinate support and recovery from emergencies.
The State Emergency Recovery Arrangements in the Emergency Management Manual of Victoria (EMMV) set out the framework for recovery. The recovery process involves cooperation between all levels of government, community agencies and the private sector in consideration of:
- The emotional, social, spiritual, financial and physical wellbeing of individuals and communities;
- The restoration of essential and community infrastructure;
- The rehabilitation of the environment;
- The revitalisation of the economy of the community.
The Southern Metropolitan Region works with municipalities and non government organisations to ensure that emergency management planning provides for individual and community needs in emergencies including:
- financial assistance;
- temporary accommodation;
- material assistance;
- personal support;
- access to advice, information and assistance to affected communities and municipalities;
- community re-development.
The Southern Emergency Recovery Plan details coordination arrangements and regional level recovery agency roles and responsibilities, as well as the operational roles and responsibilities of key regional staff within the Southern Metropolitan Region upon notification that the department will need to respond to an emergency.
The Regional Recovery Planning Committee consists of representatives from all municipalities within the Southern Metropolitan Region, non government organisations such as Australian Red Cross and Salvation Army and other State and Federal departments and agencies.
Recent events in Victoria involving the Department of Human Services - Southern Metropolitan Region include:
- Arthurs Seat chair lift collapse;
- Moorabin tyre factory blaze and;
- numerous bushfires within the state of Victoria.
The Emergency Management Unit is located at the Main Regional Office in Dandenong.