IAEM Oceania

by Scott Milne, Australian National Representative

On behalf of the members of the International Association of Emergency Managers I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to all those people whose family members and friends have died or been injured, and to those who have lost pets and property in the Victorian bushfires. Our thoughts are also with those who are displaced, who have lost their homes in Victoria and the people of NSW and South Australia where fires are burning in those states.

We extend our best wishes to the people of Queensland who are suffering the wreckage of their homes and businesses through flooding, and to those who are assisting with response and recovery efforts.

Our thanks go to our own IAEM members in all of the services both staff and volunteers, for your ongoing magnificent efforts in both the bushfires and the floods.

At the writing of this multiple fires are still burning across Victoria, over 180 people have died, hundreds have been injured, around 1,000 homes have been destroyed, over 300,000 hectares have been burnt out and multiple fires were listed as still burning. Our members from Victoria and those across Australia who are assisting are no doubt drawing upon their knowledge, skill and experience to do whatever they can to assist.

Fires, floods and other natural disasters are common place in the Australian landscape. What they have in common is that paid staff and volunteers work together across many agencies to achieve common goals. Volunteering for regular training in the rural fire service and SES to be able to respond to emergency is a part of the Australian context. Helping neighbours as casual volunteers is part of the Australian ethos.

At the risk of missing an agency, I searched through the IAEM membership list and found members represented a wide range of agencies involved in the Victorian bushfires and the Queensland floods including those from other States and the Australian Government who have also provided assistance.

Agencies with IAEM members involved in the Victorian bushfires included (In alphabetical order):

• Australian Government Agencies including: EMA and Defence.
• Australian Red Cross
• Country Fire Authority CFA
• Education and training
• Industry
• Metropolitan Fire Brigade MFB
• Municipal Councils
• State Government Departments including: Department of Human Services, Department of Infrastructure, Department of Sustainability and Environment
• Victorian and other Police Services
• Rural Fire Services from around Australia
• Victorian SES and SES from around Australia
• Translink
• Victorian Ambulance Service and Ambulance Services from around Australia

Agencies with IAEM members involved in the Queensland floods included:

• Australian Government Agencies including: EMA
• State Government Agencies including: Department of Infrastructure
• Queensland Police
• Queensland Fire and Rescue
• Queensland SES

IAEM members have been involved in international offers of assistance.

As I write this Emergency Services and Emergency Management Queensland were focussing their efforts on coordinating and assisting with the clean up effort in some areas. EMQ were travelling into the area to relieve weary colleagues and provide further support with the recovery transition. Flooding continues in some areas.

Whilst the major attention is on large and devastating fires, other fires, emergencies, car accidents, health emergencies and incidents occur around the country and are responded to routinely, these have also continued to occur throughout Victoria during the bushfire crisis.

The Victorian bushfire crisis has exacted a heavy toll of life, injury, destruction and impact on community and resources. Many of our members will be exhausted and still have a long road to travel.

The Victorian bushfires are certainly now the largest bushfire in terms of deaths, eclipsing the Southern Victorian and SA Bushfires in February 1983 where 75 people died and the January 1939 fires in Victoria where 71 people died. In total the sum of bushfire related deaths, including the 181 in Victoria at time of writing is 823.

Australia is no stranger to disaster, the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 that in Australia killed some 12,000 people and injured some 100,000 in a population of just over 5 million Over six days in 1899 some 400 people died at Bathurst Bay, near Cooktown in Queensland as a result of a Cyclone. Recorded Cyclones have killed 1,868 people in Australia. Heat waves have been a regular cause of death in Australia and in 1938 killed some 438 people in the southern states, in total over 2000 recorded deaths on record. The recent Heat Wave in Victoria and South Australia, where temperatures reached a record 47° c in Melbourne and the oppressive heat lasted for days, causing a significant rise in Ambulance Service call outs and an increase in people presenting to hospitals, some suffering from heat associated illness.

Critical infrastructure, including the life lines of water, sewerage and power are impacted by disaster and in particular by bushfire. IAEM members also contribute to ensuring these vital services are maintained or restored.

When terrible tragedies like the bushfires in Victoria occur, the effects can be far reaching. Complicated emergency relief operations are under way throughout the State.

At the time of writing, twenty serious burns patients were admitted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne in 24 hours, all with burns to more than 30 per cent of their bodies. Again IAEM members are at work providing care to the injured. Hundreds of people have attended hospitals for treatment and many admitted.

After the fire impact another hazard awaits as the stress and trauma takes its toll. Many people are directly impacted through loss of loved ones, pets, homes or possessions, whilst many others can be distressed by the news that friends or colleagues have been killed or seriously injured.

Staff and volunteers may suffer from exhaustion, and vicarious (secondary) traumatisation as witnesses to suffering and loss.

Survivor guilt may be experienced by those whose houses were spared amongst the destruction of their community. This can be complicated by smoke damage that may not be covered by insurance.

These fires have in many cases not provided the opportunity for evacuation to friends and relatives or motel. Whole communities have been devastated by loss of family after family and had their buildings and infrastructure destroyed.

There are community supports available and many employers have Employee Assistance Programs available. These assist any employee and their family members through this time. To access an Employee assistance Programs simply call the number provided by your employer. These are free, professional and confidential counselling services available to you and your family.

Community supports are available through Health Centres and are usually established at Recovery Centres and Evacuation Centres. The Victorian Department of Human Services, Victorian Department of Health, Centalink, Hospital and Local Government have Social Workers available as part of their Recovery arrangements. They can assist with practical assistance in addition to providing professional counselling.

IAEM members need to be aware of impacts on their colleagues and support each other.

Scott Milne, ESM, DSAC, BA(ANU), BSW (CSU), MPINLP, MIAEM, MAIES,
Australian National Representative
International Association of Emergency Managers – Oceania Inc

Further Links

If you have further links you would like to share with other emergency managers here, please email them to gt at kestrel.co.nz and they will be added here.

LinkedIn.com Question - Bushfires, other emergencies and recovery - how do web mapping services help the public? Note that this is only available to members of LinkedIn.com.

Google Maps mashup of the Victorian fires