Phoenix Journal March 2021 by Countrywide Austral

PRODUCED BY AND FOR THE VICTORIAN SES VOLUNTEERS

ISSUE 202 MARCH 2021 Printpost Approved PP 100001634

ANGELS IN ORANGE GO BACK TO BUNYIP FROM REFUGEE TO SES VOLUNTEER

Distributed By AUSTREC INTERNATIONAL PTY. LTD. LEVEL 1, 168 ROCKY POINT ROAD, KOGARAH, NSW 2217 AUSTRALIA

A revolutionary solution for large area illumination • Simple and rapid deployment by one person in under 1 minute • Proven performer in the harshest conditions • Able to operate independent of infrastructure • Easily transported in the boot of a car • Unprecedented lighting coverage of up to 10,000m²

The Light Tower is currently in use with: • AFP Australian Federal Police • Department of Defence (RAAF) • Civil Airports • Government Emergency Services • Roads and Traffic Authority • Law Enforcement • Fire Services • Local Councils • Advertising and Promotional • SES (State emergency Service NSW) • RFS (Rural Fire Service) • CFA (Country Fire Authority • ERGON energy (QLD) • RoadTek (Department of Main Roads QLD)

Email: info@austlighttower.com.au For more info, photos, testimonials please visit our website Ph: (02) 9698 0177 Gennady Lipkin: 0412 156 795 www.austlighttower.com.au

O VICT RIA

Content for Phoenix Photography should only be supplied digitally or as original prints (please supply stamped, self-addressed envelope for returning). Please avoid scanning of any type. Text should be supplied electronically as a Microsoft Word document.

Send all articles to:

Email: phoenix@vicsesva.org.au

www.vicsesva.org.au

VicSESVA Phoenix Editor & Mailing List Enquiries To add, edit or delete members to mail list or password and technical support contact: helpdesk@vicsesva.org.au

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

Contents 3

From the Board

Letter from Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp

Angels in Orange go back to Bunyip

10 Years Ago: The 2011 Flood Event

10 Australasian Women in Emergencies Network: Celebrating Awesome Achievements in 2020 11 International Women’s Day 2021 ‘Choose to Challenge’ 12 Volunteer Recognition Review

VicSESVA CONTACTS

EN STAT MERG EE

Letters to the editor If you have a point of view you feel would be of benefit to VicSESVA, or a request for any article which other members may be able to help source, mail it to PHOENIX. If your Unit has a need to publicise an event or Unit activity, send it to PHOENIX.

AS SO CIATION

CONTRIBUTIONS

17 VICSES Campaigns and Events for 2021 18 New AFAC Doctrine released with a focus on Volunteers 19 Mental Health Injuries Provisional Payments Pilot 20 Volunteers Receive Australia Day Awards 21 Volunteers to the rescue as camels become stuck in Tasmanian wilderness

13 From Refugee to SES Volunteer

23 The expanding doctrine of vicarious liability

14 Swan Hill Duck Race 2021

24 A Quick Guide to VicSESVA

15 Swan Hill Swift Water Rescue Training

VicSESVA STATE BOARD EXECUTIVE & STATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Mr David Rowlands

PRESIDENT Dr Faye Bendrups

M: 0423 777 633 E: chair@vicsesva.org.au

M: 0435 964 455 E: fayebendrups@hotmail.com

SECRETARY AND DIRECTOR SOUTH WEST REGION John McKenzie

TREASURER Sue Davidson E: treasurer@vicsesva.org.au

E: secretary@vicsesva.org.au

DIRECTOR NORTH EAST REGION Mr Chris Brown

DIRECTOR EAST REGION Mr Ray Desem

M: 0417 550 076 E: nerc@vicsesva.org.au

E: erc@vicsesva.org.au

SHOP MANAGER AND TASK FORCE DELEGATE Mr Chris Patton

DIRECTOR NORTH WEST REGION Julie Jochs

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

E: nwrc@vicsesva.org.au

M: 0407 310 555 E: shop@vicsesva.org.au

DIRECTOR CENTRAL WEST REGION In progress

AS SO CIATION

E: mwrc@vicsesva.org.au

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

E: cwrc@vicsesva.org.au

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

DIRECTOR MID WEST REGION Vacant

O VICT RIA EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA EN STAT MERG EE

Advertisers Alert Countrywide Austral is appointed by the Victoria Emergency Service Association as the authorised publisher of PHOENIX. For enquiries re advertising in this magazine, please contact the printers and publishers:

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

VICSES PEER SUPPORT Peer Support can be accessed at any time by ringing 1800 899 927 and asking for SES Peer Support (EAS Paging). The Clinical Director can be contacted on mobile 0417 565 927 or by ringing 1800 899 927 (EAS Paging).

COUNTRYWIDE AUSTRAL Level 2, 310 King St, Melbourne GPO Box 2466, Melbourne 3001 Ph: (03) 9937 0200 Fax: (03) 9937 0201 E-mail: admin@cwaustral.com.au ACN: 30 086 202 093

CHAPLAINS CONTACT DETAILS CENTRAL REGION Major Arthur Ford M: 0416 085 634

EAST REGION Rev Judy McLeod M: 0417 347 821

NORTH WEST REGION Rev David Mills M: 0425 708 730

Major Eddy Holman M: 0412 014 557

Disclaimer Countrywide Austral (“Publisher”) advises that the contents of this publication are at the sole discretion of the Victoria State Emergency Service Volunteers Association (VicSESVA) and the publication is offered for background information purposes only. The publication has been formulated in good faith and the Publisher believes its contents to be accurate, however, the contents do not amount to a recommendation (either expressly or by implication) and should not be relied upon in lieu of specific professional advice. The Publisher disclaims all responsibility for any loss or damage which may be incurred by any reader relying upon the information contained in the publication whether that loss or damage is caused by any fault or negligence on the part of the publisher, its directors and employees. Copyright All advertisements appearing in this publication are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the consent of the owner of the copyright. Advertising Advertisements in this journal are solicited from organisations and businesses on the understanding that no special considerations other than those normally accepted in respect of commercial dealings, will be given to any advertiser.

The data that VicSESVA holds for its members is solely used for the production and distribution of Phoenix and associated products.

TE A U Q E D A NES. I L T H G FREI PTY LTD

Email: adequatetpt23@bigpond.com We are A Local family owned business specialising in Grain and other food commodities, container and general freight cartage. Servicing Melbourne and all surrounding areas.

Please contact us on Mob: 0448 200 620 to discuss all of your Freight needs.

Find us on Facebook

PROUDLY SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL SES VOLUNTEERS

Bernie Finn MP is proud to support the volunteers of the SES. Thank you all for your wonderful work!

Bernie Finn

Member for Western Metropolitan Region

Suite 101 / 19 Lacy Street, Braybrook VIC 3019 Ph (03) 9317 5900 www.berniefinn.com Funded from Parliament Budget

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

from the

BOARD

From Challenge Comes Change

he 2021 International Women’s Day (March 8) theme is Choose to Challenge. It calls on us to take responsibility for our own thoughts and actions to create a more equal world, as a challenged world is an alert world. We can all choose to challenge and call out bias and inequality. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world, so let’s all choose to challenge. The Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) is leading the way in celebrating IWD by bringing people together from all agencies and running a series of workshops around Victoria. It is an opportunity to understand and generate ideas to overcome gender-specific factors that influence mental health outcomes, including work-life juggles, aspects of resilience, and stigma and health seeking behaviours. This comes at an opportune time for VICSES volunteers. Only recently, VicSESVA has been made aware of multiple instances of members being subjected to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and more serious issues. It is encouraging that some of these issues have also been called out by male volunteers supporting their female colleagues who have had the courage to come forward. The issue is not new and it is a societal problem; we need look no further than major sporting clubs, the recognition of Grace Tame as Australian of the Year and the appalling sexual assault allegations even now in our Federal Parliament.

But how it is dealt with is an internal agency or institutional matter and VicSESVA believes improvements are needed, urgently and right now. The challenge is to nurture a climate of empathy and wellbeing, to build cohesion out of ad hoc approaches, to have a vision of goals with a flexible ‘roadmap’, to involve volunteers and staff in the journey and to commit to learn from those who are discriminated or offended against. That does not mean those people should in any way be made to feel obliged to help the agency learn; it is VICSES that has a duty to provide a safe workplace. It is incumbent on the agency to be responsible, from the top down, for the wellbeing of volunteers and staff and to be aware of how to listen and how to connect. If connection, understanding and empathy are absent, then there is no credibility. There is only a perpetuation of privilege – the kind that means you don’t understand how much power you have and what it feels like to be in someone else’s shoes. We can choose to challenge. There are professional people and associations who are experts in dispute resolution, mediation and mental health and wellbeing issues. It is the experts we should turn to when the internal system falls short. Just as federal politicians are calling for an independent investigation into their workplace culture, it is time we did the same, as an outside, objective and unbiased view can restore confidence and trust.

Have you suffered bullying, harassment, discrimination, unlawful conduct or trauma? For immediate assistance call Lifeline on 13 11 14 Find Help: https://www.phoenixaustralia. org/recovery/find-help/ Depression and anxiety support: Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 For a mental injury compensation claim, you may be eligible for immediate benefits via the government Provisional Payments Pilot Scheme. www.vic.gov.au/provisionalpayments Let VicSESVA know, contact: secretary@vicsesva.org.au

Chairperson chair@vicsesva.org.au

Phoenix Editor phoenix@vicsesva.org.au

North East Regional Council nerc@vicsesva.org.au

Treasurer treasurer@vicsesva.org.au

South West Regional Council swrc@vicsesva.org.au

East Regional Council erc@vicsesva.org.au

Secretary secretary@vicsesva.org.au

Mid-West Regional Council mwrc@vicsesva.org.au

Central East Regional Council cerc@vicsesva.org.au

Volunteer Shop shop@vicsesva.org.au

North West Regional Council nwrc@vicsesva.org.au

Central West Regional Council cwrc@vicsesva.org.au

vicsesva.org.au

March 2021

PHOENIX 3

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

REPORTS

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE VICTORIAN SES Rob Mitchell MP

Federal Member for McEwen He’s here for us www.robmitchell.com.au Toll free: 1300 701 966

Authorised by R. Mitchell ALP, 57-59 High Street Wallan.

“Thank you to all SES members and volunteers for your tireless dedication to protecting us and our communities.”

Sheena Watt MP State Member for the Northern Metropolitan Region

E: Sheena.watt@parliament.vic.gov.au

P: (03) 9462 3966

@SheenaWattMP

Funded from the Parliamentary Budget

STUART GRIMLEY MP Member for Western Victoria State Leader of Derryn Hinch's Justice Party

A: Suite 1A, 12 Hall Street, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 P: PO Box 214, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 T: 9326 1300 E: bill.shorten.mp@aph.gov.au BillShorten @billshortenmp @billshortenmp Authorised by Bill Shorten, Australian Labor Party, Suite 1A, 12 Hall Street Moonee Ponds, VIC, 3039.

ing Demuasntidce! J

- Establish a Public Child Sex Offender Register - Bail, Parole & Sentencing Reform - Family Violence Prevention - Protecting Victims Over Perpetrators - Mental Health Support - Animal Justice -

Contact: E: stuart.grimley@parliament.vic.gov.au W: stuartgrimley.com P: (03) 5218 5001 Funded by Parliamentary Budget

vicsesva.org.au

March 2021

PHOENIX 5

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

FEATURE

ANGELS IN ORANGE GO BACK TO BUNYIP IN EARLY MARCH 2019, A FIRE IN THE BUNYIP STATE PARK, ABOUT 65 KILOMETRES EAST OF MELBOURNE, BURNED THROUGH MORE THAN 15,000 HECTARES, AFTER SEVERAL SMALLER FIRES MERGED.

6 PHOENIX

March 2021

his fire destroyed 29 homes around Bunyip North, Garfield North, and Tonimbuk, as well as 67 outbuildings and sheds. Following the fires in late 2019, SES volunteers, including Chelsea members, went into the area to assist property owners to clear many of the downed trees that were still littering their land. At that time, a promise was made to the local residents, that we would be back in 2020, and then life as we know it changed, and our Chaps & Chainsaws initiative was put on hold. Once COVID hit, it seemed to put everything else on the backburner, including the huge fires that had ravaged so many areas. At the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, many of the people affected by this felt forgotten. We certainly didn’t want to have the residents of Bunyip and the surrounding areas feel that they had also been forgotten, and so Chelsea Controller Ron Fitch spent a lot of time working with the local community. Ron was in fact, asked to join the local Community vicsesva.org.au

Chaps & Chainsaws – Who Went Back to Bunyip in 2021 • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Chelsea SES Unit Whitehorse SES Unit Malvern SES Unit Hastings SES Unit Northcote SES Unit Hobsons Bay SES Unit Narre Warren SES Unit Glen Eira SES Unit Footscray SES Unit Essendon SES Unit Frankston Unit Pakenham Unit Greater Dandenong

Some facts and figures: • • • • • •

35 VICSES Volunteer Members In 14 Vehicles From 10 Central Region Units Over 2 Days 4 Properties visited In The Tonimbuk & Garfield North Area Back up for residents following devastating 2019 fires

Recovery Committee, working towards having an opportunity to fulfil our promise and to head ‘Back to Bunyip in 2021’. Over a few weekends, more than 30 SES volunteers from 10 Units travelled to Bunyip to continue the great work that they began back in 2019. The first properties that were attended are in Tonimbuk and property owner, Ingrid Green says she is thrilled to have us back. “It’s like, some days, you’ve got to climb Mount Everest and some days you can’t even reach base camp. A day like today is not just about the physical support from the SES, in a lot of ways, it’s more about the emotional support. Just knowing someone cares and there is someone, willing to help you reach your own summit. At Mount Everest they had Sherpas, but today, thanks to the SES, we had Angels in Orange”. And on that note, I think there’s nothing more to say. Great job to everyone involved. Submitted by Phil Wall VICSES Chelsea vicsesva.org.au

March 2021

PHOENIX 7

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

FEATURE

Mildura Unit History

10 YEARS AGO: THE 2011 FLOOD EVENT Small group of about 30 houses in Irymple that flooded overnight Saturday due to pumps failing and gravity drain collapsing. This required evacuations of about 15 houses.

IN 2011 VICTORIA EXPERIENCED ONE OF ITS WORST FLOODS IN THE STATE’S HISTORY. IT WAS DURING A STRONG LA NINA WEATHER PERIOD AND AFFECTED BY CYCLONIC AND MONSOON CONDITIONS IN THE NORTH AND NORTH WEST, SUCH AS QUEENSLAND’S TROPICAL CYCLONE YASI (CATEGORY 5). THE DAMAGE BILL WAS ESTIMATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES AT $2 BILLION. MORE THAN 51 COMMUNITIES WERE AFFECTED, AND HUNDREDS OF SES VOLUNTEERS WERE MOBILISED TO ASSIST. MILDURA UNIT’S MICHAEL HELLWEGE REMEMBERS:

yclone Yasi in Northern Queensland and another Cyclone in Western Australia collided and travelled down the interior of Australia all the way to Victoria dropping heavy rain over Mildura. Friday 04/02/2011 @ 14:33 was the first job after the heavens opened and it started raining and kept raining with 192.6 mm recorded for February and most within less than 12 hours – this followed a very wet month with 129.4 mm recorded in January 2011. Records smashed The highest January rainfall from 1946-2021 was 129.4mm in 2011 The highest February rainfall from 1946-2021 was 192.6 in 2011 The Unit recorded the busiest year since it was formed in May 1979 with 555 requests for assistance (RFAs) from

8 PHOENIX

March 2021

Irymple Ave looking towards the IPC Dried Fruit Packing shed in Irymple.

14:33 on Friday 4/02/2011 to Midnight on Sunday 6/02/2011 and 748 RFAs by 01/03/2011. Jobs were primarily flooding and sandbags required with some rescue tasks due to people driving into flood water as

many roads in the district were under water and many over 1 metre deep. Responding to RFA requests was almost impossible due to most roads being flooded and very limited alternative routes to take that were not flooded. vicsesva.org.au

Main Street in Cardross – 2 cars stuck and the Large Pumps used to remove the water

Some of the SASES Fleet of vehicles that travelled from Adelaide and the Riverland to assist.

Main street at Cardross with SES boat and DELWP crew assisting.

Widespread damage Many residents were displaced from their homes for up to 12 months waiting on repairs to be assessed by insurance companies and then finding the required tradespeople to complete the work. Many roads in the district were damaged which also took up to 6 months or more for the Mildura Rural City Council to repair. Initial response was 16 Mildura Unit members as the Region was also dealing with the Murray River flooding event which was moving into Swan Hill with a DCP at Swan Hill and ICC at Bendigo already established. Regional staff arrived late Sunday to take charge of the negotiations with the Mildura Rural City Council, Lower Murray Water and other agencies involved with managing the recovery plan. vicsesva.org.au

Satellite image of Mildura and the Sunraysia area taken on 8/02/2011. Blue patches show the extend of the flooding over the entire district; about 130 bodies of water as a result of the 192mm of rain on Friday 4th February 2011.

Interstate assistance Due to the ongoing flooding event which started in late 2010 there were no support crews available to assist so a Task Force from SASES in Adelaide and the Riverland in South Australia arrived in Mildura on Monday 7/02/2011 to assist. The SASES crews remained for almost a week to assist before returning back home. Some Mildura Unit members were active over a three week period to help with ongoing requests involving sandbags and other tasks as required. Most of the RFAs were for flooding, but not just a house - but the entire street with even towns like Red Cliffs being cut off by flooded roads. Cardross had the main road and football oval flooded for a couple of weeks.

We also received a number of rescue calls with people stuck after driving into flood waters and the vehicle becoming stuck when the engine cut out. The Unit remained in response mode for over two weeks so the local water authority could pump the water from low lying areas to the Irrigation drainage system which was not designed for this volume of water and was used for irrigation runoff. Lower Murray Water used large pumps mounted in car trailers and laid 6 inch flat hose up to 3 kilometres long to remove the water in multiple locations which each pump removing 6 Olympic size swimming pools per hour. Submitted by Michael Hellwege VICSES Mildura March 2021

PHOENIX 9

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

FEATURE

AUSTRALASIAN WOMEN IN EMERGENCIES NETWORK: CELEBRATING AWESOME ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2020 AT THE AWE AGM 2020, MEMBERS REVISITED SOME OF THE MANY AWE SUCCESSES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OVER A CHALLENGING YEAR.

Here is a snapshot:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Invitation to and participation in the UNDRR Asia-Pacific Forum in Brisbane in November 2019 Vic AWE Chapter end of year dinner in Melbourne with guests Elizabeth and Jolie from New Zealand AWE Chapter NSW AWE Chapter monthly Friday networking including site visits and guest speakers and end of year meeting and drinks in Sydney in December 2019 AWE presentation at ANZDMC conference in Brisbane Monthly member newsletters Mentoring program commenced AWE Speaking engagements by members of the AWE committee including at the Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA), Loneliness Dialogue, SES Sunbury Unit - Women’s Day, Grampians Health, guest speaker at IWD events WA AWE Chapter Leads and Advisory group breakfast in Perth Invitation to ELCA National Climate and Emergency Summit and signatory to recommendations to Commonwealth Government including full page ad in the weekend newspaper with AWE logo AWE Scholarships program commenced Ongoing activity and networking on social media including posting our recordings of events on our private AWE You Tube channel AWE Conversation Series - delivered 6 events featuring prominent women from within our AWE network and our close friends Other events included - virtual Pool Party, regional drinks, virtual drinks during COVID Monthly Mindfulness and Breath Work sessions Partnered with ESF at IWD event at AAMI Park followed by joining almost record making crowd at MCG to watch the final of the International Women’s T20 cricket Building relationships with other women’s groups around the world Partnered with HAG and HWN on IWD 2020 for special forum on diversity in disasters and the role of women’s networks AWE Committee and Chapter Leads Planning sessions Go Fund Me campaign raised $3,500 2nd Member Survey Over 1300 Members

10 PHOENIX

March 2021

AWE Mentoring Program Mentoring can be an enormously rewarding process for both Mentor and Mentee. Mentoring relationships provide a trusted and supportive environment in which to: • explore who we are and who we are growing to become, • face challenges that come with life and work, • think about and problem solve the issues that we face, • practice new strategies and get feedback, and • just enjoy sharing and learning with one another. We currently have established mentoring relationships in the AWE network and we hope to hear from them soon about their particular relationship and the benefits it brings to them. If you have already registered your interest in being mentored, please reach out to one of our fantastic mentors, they are waiting to hear from you. If you want help contacting a mentor, please email mentoring@ awenetwork.org.au.

vicsesva.org.au

ESF EVENTS:

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021 ‘CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE’ THE EMERGENCY SERVICES FOUNDATION (ESF) HAS PROGRAMMED A SERIES OF EVENTS TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. THE IWD THEME OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021, #CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE FORUM PROGRAM, EXPLORING THE TOPICS OF GENDER EQUALITY AND WELLBEING. Why Choose to Challenge? The ESF website refers to the IWD theme: The IWD 2021 campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge because a challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequity. We can choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge. Building on the success of ESF’s inaugural IWD event in 2020, women across the emergency management sector will celebrate the 2021 International Women’s Day theme Choose to Challenge, at events in Bairnsdale, Wangaratta and Melbourne. The need for events such as these is based on research findings that the impact of emergency response work is different for women and men. As well as celebrate, connect and ‘edutain’ women, ESF-hosted events will harness the opportunity IWD vicsesva.org.au

provides to understand and generate ideas to overcome gender-specific factors that influence mental health outcomes, including work-life juggles, aspects of resilience, and stigma and health seeking behaviours (Beyond Blue 2018, Boyle et al 2020). In hosting events for IWD 2021 ESF will specifically respond to two recommendations on a study of women in the Victorian Emergency services, to: • bring women across the sector together to create events/forums that increase camaraderie, support, and acknowledgement • to explore how regionalised thankyou events could be generated for emergency service employees and volunteers No other forum exists in the Victorian sector to bring women together in a way that gives them a collective voice and celebrates their difference and contribution. Building on the success of 2020 and in response to feedback from the ESF Stakeholder Council, ESF has determined to include two regional programs in 2021 and has been working with agencies to identify local participants.

Recordings from the events on 27 February in Bairnsdale, 14 March in Wangaratta and 16 March in Melbourne will be made and posted on the ESF website (esf.com.au) so they are accessible to a broader audience.

BAIRNSDALE

27th February 9.30am - 4.00pm Bairnsdale Sporting & Convention Centre

WANGARATTA

14th March 9.30am - 4.00pm Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre

MELBOURNE

16th March 9.00am - 4.00pm ZINC Federation Square For more information on the Emergency Services Foundation visit esf.com.au

March 2021

PHOENIX 11

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

FEATURE

ESF IMPACT Newsletter, Issue 10

Volunteer Recognition Review VOLUNTEERS ARE INTEGRAL TO THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF THE VICTORIAN COMMUNITY, BUT A RECENT REVIEW FOUND THAT THERE IS MUCH ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN HOW THEIR CONTRIBUTION IS RECOGNISED.

esearch shows that recognition is critical for the wellbeing of emergency service volunteers who often work in conditions that are demanding and stressful. Working with ESF, a team of students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the United States conducted interviews with volunteer managers and 54 active volunteers from across eight Victorian emergency service agencies to understand how volunteers are currently recognised and what they would find meaningful. Collectively those 54 volunteers had contributed an astounding

700 hours in the past week. Key findings from this study were: • the families of volunteers who give so much need recognition too • be careful not to forget the quiet achievers in the background • team leaders need to understand the value of recognition and be trained to give it • pins and certificates are good but informal recognition is highly valued • we work as one so recognition should be consistent • the community does not understand the

year-round contribution of volunteers and more stories need to be told • more needs to be done to recognise locally where people serve This study led to a series of recommendations for improvement at agency, sector, and government levels to support the wellbeing of volunteers. The full report is available at https://esf. com.au/programs/ Working with WPI is a wonderful partnership which enables ESF to deliver mental health and wellbeing initiatives that are evidence informed.

Reactions After last summer’s terrible and tragic fires, it is more important than ever to support our volunteers and sustain a volunteer workforce to protect our communities. Our volunteers give so much and the WPI student team has shown that we do not always show appropriate recognition for all their hard work and commitment. The student team from WPI have identified some valuable strategies to ensure that we are better able to communicate our thanks to our volunteers for all they do to keep our communities safe. Prof David Lawrence Principal Research Fellow UWA Answering the Call

12 PHOENIX

March 2021

Absolutely fantastic that this research has been done, especially including our Volunteers in discussions about what we currently do and how to improve. We are always looking at ways to recognise the outstanding work and contributions our volunteers make to assist their communities in their time of need. Priscilla Grimme VicSES Volunteer Coordinator

The presentation provided great insights, experiences and ideas coming straight from volunteers across the sector. This will not only provide opportunities to recognise our emergency service volunteers in a holistic manner across all organisations but will ensure the volunteer voice is heard in the development of future recognition activities at CFA. For me the take home message was ‘ Design WITH Volunteers - rather than FOR volunteers. Raelene Williams CFA Volunteer Sustainability Manager

vicsesva.org.au

FROM REFUGEE TO SES VOLUNTEER MY NAME IS ROHULLAH HUSSAINI AND I AM A HAZARA REFUGEE FROM AFGHANISTAN WHERE MY LIFE WAS THREATENED ALL THE TIME.

came to Australia by boat and arrived at Ashmore Reef in 2012 after a terrible journey from Indonesia. We were attacked by pirates, our boat leaked badly and we often thought we would drown. Our daily food ration was a can of baked beans and a bottle of water. When the Australian Navy picked us up, they gave our lives back to us. After a short period in the Darwin Detention Centre, I came to Swan Hill. As soon as I arrived in Swan Hill, I felt welcome. It is a very friendly place and people care for each other. With the help of community members, I found a full time job in spite of my very poor English. I have lived here for eight years and I am working for the Swan Hill Rural City Council in Engineering, Parks and Gardens. I joined the SES in July 2015 to try to pay back my community for its kindness and to learn more about life and those around me. I have also learned a lot about myself in the SES and how to safely look after myself first. I absolutely love it and vicsesva.org.au

learn new skills every day. I have made a lot of good friends in the SES. I can’t wait for the day I can bring my family here and we can be together after ten years apart. In 2014 and 2015, Rohullah rode his bike to Canberra, and then via Melbourne to Sydney and Canberra to raise awareness of the challenges that refugees face and to share his amazing story with people along the way. He also raises funds to support people in his homeland who are the victims of ongoing terrorist attacks. He continues to advocate for asylum seekers and those on Temporary Protection Visas to be treated with compassion and respect, and to have access to benefits that those with Permanent Residence and citizenship enjoy. Despite working hard and paying taxes for nearly a decade, Rohullah and others in his situation do not have a proper Medicare card, cannot buy a house, and he cannot bring his wife and child here to safety. If you’d like further information or to support Rohullah’s fundraising efforts, contact him at rohullahhossaini587@yahoo.com March 2021

PHOENIX 13

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

FEATURE

SWAN HILL DUCK RACE 2021

THE ANNUAL SWAN HILL DUCK RACE IS THE ONLY FUNDRAISER FOR THE SES SWAN HILL UNIT. IT RAISES APPROXIMATELY $10,000, WHICH IS USED TO PURCHASE VALUABLE EQUIPMENT.

,000 plastic ducks are released into the Murray River where they race to a catching pen placed in front of the Swan Hill bridge. The event is completely sponsored by local businesses and the 31st race was again sold out. The event normally attracts quite a large crowd of onlookers lining the banks of the Murray River. With the changing times of COVID, the lifting and tightening of restrictions, the Swan Hill Unit were about to run the annual Duck Race on the Murray River on New Year’s Day 2021 when things changed. At 6pm on 31st December 2020, North West Regional Manager Sharon Unthank, rang the organisers of the Swan Hill Unit to say restrictions had changed and the event would need to alter if it was to go ahead. It was not appropriate to attract large gatherings as per restrictions that had been put in place that day. It became a huge challenge to face, so under the focused and adaptable value, to make the event work in the following 12 hours the Swan Hill unit looked at many different ways of adapting and modifying the event to adhere to all COVID requirements. Ideas were thrown around, from possibly using swimming pools to bingo machines, so it was eventually decided to herd all the ducks into one of the Rescue boats and have “Lucky”, the Duck Mascot randomly gather the ducks out of the boat, one at a time in front of the Swan Hill Unit.

14 PHOENIX

March 2021

Swan Hill explained on their Facebook page: “Unfortunately due to current COVID 19 escalation the Swan Hill SES have had to make the difficult decision to change the format of the New Years Day duck race. As we do not want to encourage crowds, the duck race will not be held on the river. The ducks will be drawn similar to a raffle and will be live streamed on our Facebook page. The Swan Hill SES Unit would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for their continued support and we appreciate your understanding in this matter”. The event like previous years was livestreamed, but this year proved invaluable to the Unit bringing awareness of the fundraiser into the local community. The recorded video can be seen at the Swan Hill Unit Facebook Page www.facebook.com/swanhillses/

vicsesva.org.au

SWAN HILL SWIFT WATER RESCUE TRAINING

hree members from the Swan Hill SES travelled to Eildon on 6th and 7th February 2021 to complete the Land Based Swift Water Rescue course. It was a great course with fantastic instructors. This is the type of course I would recommend to all SES units who have boats. It was enlightening to say the least, emphasizing the force of water and the consequences of being complacent around any type of water. We have another three members who are enrolled to do the course, so once they are completed we will have a full Swift Water Rescue Team based at Swan Hill.

Submitted by Julie Jochs VICSES Swan Hill

vicsesva.org.au

March 2021

PHOENIX 15

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

VICSES CAMPAIGNS AND EVENTS FOR 2021 AT VICSES, WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED IN CAMPAIGNS AND EVENTS THAT CELEBRATE OUR VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.

lthough COVID-19 has had an impact on how we communicate face-to-face, over the past 12 months we’ve been able to successfully shift our focus to online-driven campaigns and events that have engaged more people than ever before. Here’s a look at our upcoming campaign Neighbour Day, how you can get involved, and what’s on for the rest of 2021.

Neighbour Day 2021 Research shows that those who have strong relationships with their neighbours are more likely to help one another and have better outcomes when faced with emergencies. That’s why VICSES is supporting Neighbour Day – an annual celebration of community with the aim of fostering strong personal connections that last the whole year-round. Like last year, this year’s campaign will look a little different due to COVID-19. While we would normally encourage the community to get to know their neighbour face-to-face, there are many other ways people can connect with those living around them. This includes: • Checking in on neighbours over the phone or via text. • Leaving a note or calling card with a kind message and your contact details. • Providing neighbours with a small gift such as a household or food item, if you have extra that you can share. • Joining a local online community/ neighbourhood group for support. To support this campaign during COVID-19, we will be focusing on promoting Neighbour Day across social media. This proved to be extremely successful last year, with the average impressions per post for the campaign increasing from 44,000 to 198,765 in 2020. A Neighbour Day social media digital toolkit is now available on the Hub for all units to download, as well as our campaign key messages to help support your social posts. You can download this digital toolkit under My State > Media and Communications > Digital toolkits > Campaign and Events toolkits.

vicsesva.org.au

Other upcoming campaigns and events to mark as part of your calendar includes: • Easter Driver Reviver campaign: 2-5 April • Wear Orange Wednesday: 19 May • Pride March: 23 May More information will be made available closer to each event date, so stay tuned on the Hub and keep an eye out in your email inbox. Social media Annual Theme Calendar: You can access a full list of campaigns, events and key dates that we celebrate on social media as part of our Annual Theme Calendar. Download the calendar on the Hub under My State > Media and Communications > Digital Toolkits > Social media support. Further information and support If you have any questions or require further information, please contact our team at media@ses.vic.gov.au What is Neighbour Day? Neighbour Day is Australia’s annual celebration of community, encouraging people to connect with their neighbours. Neighbours matter (whether near, far, or online), and now, more than ever,

is the time to make creative connections and to stay connected. Find out more at neighbourday.org. Knowing your neighbours, and your broader community has never been more important. Relationships Australia as the home of Neighbour Day believes in the power of the Australian community to support its most vulnerable, to tackle loneliness, and to work together to ensure healthy and safe relationships throughout the pandemic, and beyond. Neighbour Day 2021 will take place on Sunday 28 March, providing all Australians with an opportunity to recognise the strength we draw from our communities, and to continue to build creative connections within neighbourhoods and wider communities. We are asking everyone to get creative, reach out, and to encourage social connection. In 2019, for the first time, the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) and the Red Cross joined forces with Relationships Australia, to celebrate Neighbour Day and encourage communities across the state to build healthy relationships. By Gabi Barkmeyer Corporate Communications Officer, VICSES Media and Communications Team

March 2021

PHOENIX 17

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

FEATURE

NEW AFAC DOCTRINE RELEASED WITH A FOCUS ON VOLUNTEERS

IN 2020 AFAC FINALISED ITS NEW DOCTRINE ON VOLUNTEER INCLUSION, WITH THE RELEASE OF THE VOLUNTEER INCLUSION GUIDELINE. IT FORMS PART OF THE AFAC SUITE OF PROCEDURAL DOCTRINE. What is AFAC Doctrine? The AFAC website explains: AFAC Doctrine is one of AFAC members’ most important intellectual property assets. The suite of sector-agreed, evidence-based doctrine is vested as the official view of the AFAC National Council and is central to supporting AFAC’s strategic directions. AFAC doctrine supports AFAC members in defining accountabilities and practice against which AFAC members can measure their organisational performance. By aligning research to organisational strategies, doctrine can define best practice and support learning, knowledge management, succession planning and benefit organisational culture. The New AFAC Volunteer Inclusion Guideline Download a copy at: https://www.afac.com.au/docs/defaultsource/doctrine/afac_doctrine_volunteerinclusion-guideline_v0-1.pdf Purpose of the Volunteer Inclusion Guideline This new guideline supports the efforts of AFAC members and the AFAC Office to create an inclusive ‘way of doing things’, where volunteers are engaged in decision making and their diverse opinions are valued and leveraged to derive mutually beneficial outcomes. By adopting an inclusive approach, there are positive flow‑effects to the engagement and retention of volunteers and creation of a more diverse and sustainable volunteer workforce. The Guideline: • details the benefits of volunteer inclusion in the advancement of organisational outcomes • highlights the important interplay between diversity and inclusion and provides a framework for understanding an organisation’s maturity in this regard • outlines key considerations for volunteer inclusion in organisational planning and decision making

18 PHOENIX

March 2021

•

guides AFAC members and the AFAC Office in developing strategies and actions to improve consideration and involvement of volunteers earlier in planning and decision making. This guideline draws on, and should be read in conjunction with, Australia’s National Standards for Volunteer Involvement (the National Standards) and New Zealand’s Best Practice Guidelines for Volunteer-Involving Organisations.

This guideline is not prescriptive in its intent, but rather serves as guidance for AFAC members to build their own volunteer inclusion framework that reflects the context of their operating environment and the needs of their volunteers.

vicsesva.org.au

MENTAL HEATH INJURIES PROVISIONAL PAYMENTS PILOT THE PROVISIONAL PAYMENTS PILOT ALLOWS ELIGIBLE EMERGENCY WORKERS (PAID OR VOLUNTEER) TO ACCESS PAYMENTS FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT AND SERVICES WHILE THEIR COMPENSATION CLAIM IS BEING DETERMINED.

he pilot covers reasonable medical treatment and services for related mental health injuries. Provisional payments will be provided over a continuous 13-week period. Reasonable medical treatment and services may include: • visits to a General Practitioner (GP) • the cost of prescription medication • visits to a mental health professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist if referred by a GP Reasonable travel expenses to attend treatment and services are also covered. The scheme may cover other reasonable treatments or services. An emergency worker can choose their own medical provider under the pilot. If WorkCover accepts the claim, the worker must choose a WorkCover approved provider. If a claim is rejected, the pilot will cover the cost of any reasonable medical treatment and services for up to 13 weeks from the date the claim was submitted. vicsesva.org.au

An emergency worker can access the pilot if: they have a compensation claim that is being determined if they are already receiving treatment for their mental health injury You must have new supporting evidence to make a new claim if your claim has previously been rejected. https://www.vic.gov.au/provisional-payments

• •

March 2021

PHOENIX 19

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

FEATURE

VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS

THE VICSES WEBSITE CELEBRATES THE EMERGENCY SERVICES MEDAL AWARDED TO VOLUNTEERS GARY DOORBAR (WHITTLESEA) AND LISA WISE (WODONGA).

Gary Doorbar ESM

Lisa Wise ESM

Whittlesea Controller

Wodonga Unit Deputy Controller and Peer Support Team Leader

ary joined VICSES in 2008, first volunteering with Broadmeadows Unit and then moving to the newly established Whittlesea Unit in 2014 as Unit Controller. During this time, Gary was instrumental in the expansion of the unit, which has since grown from 10 members to nearly 90 members today. Gary’s perseverance in building relationships with local government and emergency service agencies cemented the unit’s positive reputation in the community, and ability to respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Aside from his incredible leadership of the Whittlesea Unit, Gary has also undertaken many leadership roles across a diverse range of large-scale emergency events. This includes assisting the 2009 Victorian Bushfires, positioned Crew Leader in the search for Jill Meagher in 2011, deployment to Queensland to support the storm response for Cyclone Yasi in 2011, and many more events since. Notably in 2015, Gary earned Whittlesea Unit a citation from the Victoria Police Local Area Commander for the unit’s outstanding contributions in the search for the remains of a deceased person. “The members at Whittlesea Unit describe Gary as a fantastic leader who is always supporting them and enriching the experience of being a VICSES volunteer,” said Central Region Manager Ray Jasper, who nominated Gary for the award. “As is evident with numerous emergency events where Gary has played an important leadership role, he has displayed exemplified leadership, direction, emotional guidance and support to others. Gary’s continual sacrifice of personal time to help the community is over and above what is expected of any volunteer.”

isa first joined VICSES in 1989, dedicating over 30 years of service. Beginning her volunteer journey with VICSES Wodonga Unit, Lisa went on to become Deputy Controller in 2004 and has been positioned in the role ever since. In 2006, Lisa recognised that her experience in responding to road crash rescue events as a volunteer would benefit the then newly established VICSES Peer Support program, and decided to jump on board. Since joining Peer Support, Lisa has become a Team Leader in the North East Region, covering 25 VICSES units. Providing support across the entire region, Lisa’s role often involves travelling long distances, late nights and at short notice to be there as soon as possible for units who have attended a traumatic event. Championing the services provided by Peer Support, Lisa has also assisted in the development of training and awareness materials for members, and the overall accessibility of mental health and wellbeing services for all VICSES volunteers. As a prime example of her dedication, during the 2020 bushfires Lisa gave up her holidays and volunteered to be deployed to East Gippsland to provided critical incident stress support for volunteers and their families impacted by the fires. Lisa quickly distinguished herself and built strong relationships with volunteers, staff and families from the community and from across many different agencies, offering significant support to those traumatised by the devastating events. “I can think of no other member that demonstrates our VICSES Values as consistently as Lisa,” said North East Operations Officer Neil Payn, who nominated Lisa for the award. “Lisa is highly respected by all those who have worked with her or benefited from her services, and is an outstanding volunteer whose commitment to VICSES and the community of Victoria is of the highest order.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH GARY AND LISA ON THEIR AWARDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING DEDICATION TO VICSES AND TO YOUR COMMUNITIES.

20 PHOENIX

March 2021

vicsesva.org.au

VOLUNTEERS TO THE RESCUE AS CAMELS BECOME STUCK IN TASMANIAN WILDERNESS WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR CARAVAN OF CAMELS GETS STUCK IN THE RUGGED TASMANIAN WILDERNESS?

fter exhausting your attempts to convince your 300-kilogram companions to shuffle along, you do what adventurer and cameleer John Arthur Elliott did — call the State Emergency Service (SES). Mr Elliott’s odyssey across Australia began in 2019, trekking with his trusty dingo cross red heeler and five camels loaded up with gear, including a portable fridge and a generator. But on Monday, they found themselves in quite a pickle on the Tasmanian Trail near Poatina in the central highlands. Descending rocky terrain between Cathcart Bluff and Mount Blackwood, the deteriorating track caused by recent washouts saw Mr Elliott’s camel convoy become stuck. Unable to move forwards or backwards, Mr Elliott called for help and soon after, police, fire service and SES volunteers arrived at the scene. Volunteers become cameleers SES volunteer Anne Fareley was among those who received a speedy tutorial in “cameleering” before helping guide the creatures along 1.2 kilometres of steep uphill terrain. “We basically became camel handlers,” she told ABC Radio Hobart. “They kept slipping on the rocky terrain and he needed assistance getting them back up. “Some of us were leading the camels and others were encouraging them to get up the track.” The volunteers embraced their peculiar assignment and everything was going well, until a tricky water crossing threatened to derail the operation. “Two of [the camels] did not want to go across,” Ms Fareley said. “That took a bit of work and a bit of problem solving to get two of them across the creek.” Finally, after a couple of hours, the crew had success. Safely back at the top of the trail, the camels enjoyed a well-earned feed while the crew of SES saviours made sure to get happy snaps with their newfound friends. The journey continues For a very thankful Mr Elliott, the escapade is just one chapter in an epic journey across the country. The former Perth businessman ditched his job, walked away from his house and vicsesva.org.au

John Elliott with the band of volunteers who help shift his stubborn camels. (Supplied: Tasmania SES)

Volunteers help the camels navigate a steep bush track. (supplied: Tasmania SES)

An SES volunteer leads one of the camels off the remote track.(Supplied: Tasmania SES)

The caravan can now continue its journey around Tasmania. (Supplied: Tasmania SES)

gave his car to charity in exchange for the ultimate sea change two years ago — setting off on an unplanned route with his lively caravan in tow. So far they have encountered drought, dust storms, searing temperatures, bushfires, snow and coronavirus quarantine. Mr Elliott is using the journey to raise awareness about melanoma.

Residents of Longford might see the travelling party in the coming days, with Mr Elliott and his camels set to pass through the town as part of their 1,000km Tasmanian leg. By Chris Rowbottom abc news. Hobart Reprinted by permission, ABC March 2021

PHOENIX 21

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

OFFICIAL MEDICAL ADVICE

Coronavirus: Thanks to you, we are saving lives and stopping the spread. But it’s important we continue to keep all Australians safe. Stay at home unless necessary and avoid non-essential travel. Banks, supermarkets, petrol stations, medical services and suppliers remain open.

If you can, you should work from home. Use phones for meetings, stop handshaking, tap to pay where possible instead of using cash.

Maintain physical distancing and hygiene practices. Keep 1.5 metres of physical distance, exercise away from others, and wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds.

Visit australia.gov.au to find restrictions specific to your State or Territory. Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra

THE EXPANDING DOCTRINE OF VICARIOUS LIABILITY If a Volunteer is negligent, is the Service liable? MICHAEL EBURN, PHD AND BARRISTER, DISCUSSES THE ISSUE OF VICARIOUS LIABILITY IN HIS BLOG, OCTOBER 12, 2020. FOR THE FULL TEXT , SEE EMERGENCYLAW.WORDPRESS. COM. THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN HIS BLOG AUSTRALIAN EMERGENCY LAW, 2 JULY 2020: HTTPS://EMERGENCYLAW.WORDPRESS.COM. IT IS REPRODUCED WITH THE AUTHOR’S PERMISSION.

icarious liability – the doctrine that if an employee is negligent, their employer is liable – has been discussed often on this blog, see https://emergencylaw.wordpress. com/?s=vicarious+liability. I have consistently argued that even though the doctrine has its genesis in employment law there is every reason to think that it would extend to ensure that organisations that use volunteers are vicariously liable for the negligence of those volunteers (see Vicarious liability for volunteers April 23, 2018). That argument has been given further strength by the decision of Schmidt AJ in Plaintiff A and B v Bird; Plaintiff C v Bird; Plaintiff D v Bird [2020] NSWSC 1379 (and thank you Bill Madden of Bill Maddens WordPress for drawing this case to my attention). The case was about claims for compensation by two children and their mothers, arising from allegations of abuse by a minority shareholder of a company which operated a childcare centre. An issue arose whether the defendant, Mr Bird, was an employee or volunteer with the relevant childcare centre. The court found that he was an employee, but Her Honour said she would have found the centre vicariously liable if Mr Bird had been a volunteer. Her Honour relied on the UK decision in Cox v Ministry of Justice. In that case, (heard in the UK Supreme Court which replaced the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords and is now the ultimate court of appeal in the UK, the equivalent of the High Court of Australia) Lord Reed (with whom Lord Neuberger, Lady Hale, Lord Dyson and Lord Toulson agreed) said this about vicarious liability (at [15]-[30] emphasis added and references omitted): Vicarious liability in tort is imposed upon a person in respect of the act or omission of another individual, because of his relationship with that individual, and the connection between that relationship and the act or omission in question. … [T]he relationship is classically one of employment, and the connection is that the employee committed the vicsesva.org.au

act or omission in the course of his employment: that is to say, within the field of activities assigned to him, … [or] in the course of his job, considered broadly… It has however long been recognised that a relationship can give rise to vicarious liability even in the absence of a contract of employment. … Discussion If we consider volunteers, particularly volunteers in the various state-operated ambulance, fire and emergency services, they are not employees. But they are engaged and trained by the service in accordance with the service policies and procedures. They are tasked by the relevant service. When a call is made to triple zero or 132 555 the request is for assistance by the service and the volunteers enable the service to meet that request. The volunteer responds and conducts ‘activities as an integral part of the business activities carried on by [their service] and for its benefit’ that is to allow the service to meet its statutory obligations and provide the service it is established to provide. The volunteer’s activities are not ‘entirely attributable to the conduct of [their own] recognisably independent business’. The fact that the service is not being provided ‘for profit’ is irrelevant, the volunteers are still conducting the ‘business’ of their ambulance, fire or emergency service. The volunteer stands in the relevant relationship with the agency such that the agency will be vicariously liable for the negligence of the volunteer. The comment by Lord Reed that ‘[a]s for insurance, employers insure themselves because they are liable: they are not liable because they have insured themselves’ is also an important reminder. People tell volunteers ‘if you do the right thing, you’ll be covered by the agencies insurance’ but that is not correct. It is the agency that is insured because it is the agency that is liable. If the volunteer is negligent the agency is liable. If the agency has relevant insurance, they can look to that insurance to meet the liability. If they do not have relevant

insurance it does not mean the volunteer (or employee) has to wear the liability, it means the agency has to meet the liability from its operational budget or other reserves rather that from insurance. The presence or absence of insurance, or the terms of insurance, do not determine whether an agency is vicariously liable for its volunteers or staff. Statute Law Apart from the developing common law, many jurisdictions have provided volunteer protection to ensure that volunteers are not personally liable for their mistakes, but the organisation for which they volunteer is – see Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT) s 9; Personal Injuries (Liabilities and Damages) Act 2003 (NT) s 7; Civil Liability Act 2002 (Tas) s 48; Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) s 37; Country Fire Authority Act 1958 (Vic) s 92; Victoria State Emergency Service Act 2005 (Vic) s 42; Volunteers And Food And Other Donors (Protection From Liability) Act 2002 (WA) s 7 and Commonwealth Volunteers Protection Act 2003 (Cth) s 7. Conclusion The decision in Cox v Ministry of Justice [2016] UKSC 10 developed the justification for vicarious liability. The court’s reasoning is consistent with those of Australian decisions such as Hollis v Vabu (2001) 207 CLR 21 (see the discussion in Trying – again – to put to bed a myth about vicariously liability November 30, 2019). Her Honour, Schmidt AJ relied on the decision in Cox to confirm that in her opinion that vicariously liability would also extend to Mr Bird even if he were a volunteer not an employee. The developing case law comes as no surprise and is consistent with arguments I have been making since at least 1999 (see Michael Eburn, Emergency Law 1st ed, Federation Press 1999, p. 16). Volunteers should not be in any doubt that if there is an allegation of negligence in the course of their duties, it is the agency that they volunteer for that will be liable. March 2021

PHOENIX 23

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

FEATURE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

VicSESVA

A QUICK GUIDE Victoria State Emergency Service Volunteers Association WHAT IS VicSESVA? VicSESVA works to represent and advocate for VICSES volunteers, actively supporting members and engaging cooperatively with VICSES management, EM sector agencies and governing bodies, and State Government. • VicSESVA is a non-profit organisation which exists to further the interests of VICSES volunteer members. • VicSESVA uses its dedicated focus on volunteers to select and drive the resolution of issues that impact on skills, safety and how VICSES volunteers undertake their duties. It is important to note that VicSESVA is an Association not a Union. VicSESVA does not engage in adversarial campaigns but it does seek to further the interests of VICSES volunteers, and the public they serve, by promoting appropriate standards in training, equipment and ethics in VICSES.

WHO IS VicSESVA? VicSESVA is wholly staffed by VICSES volunteers who provide their time and expertise gratis and is funded by a small fee from VICSES Units, used to subsidise costs such as publishing, website, minimal office admin support and VA delegates travel. VicSESVA is comprised of all VICSES Units (two delegates may represent each Unit), Regional Councils and a State Board.

VicSESVA’s MISSION To be pro-active in the pursuit of excellence in service delivery for VicSESVA members and to maintain an effective communication and interaction with all emergency and support agencies.

VicSESVA’s VISION To ensure that the highest level of skills training is available to the volunteers of VICSES. To ensure that the resources available to volunteers are applicable to the respective operational requirements.

VicSESVA’s STRUCTURE VicSESVA is broken up into 7 Regions: South West, Central West, Central East, North West, North East, Mid-West and East. Each Region has a Regional Council which seeks input from local Units, meets and discusses the issues identified and selects issues for escalation to the VicSESVA State Board. Unit Delegates Each member Unit of VicSESVA may elect two delegates who convey the thoughts and feelings of their Unit and its members to the Regional Council or State Board.

Regional Councils The elected delegates of the Units from within the region form their Regional Council. The Regional Councils raise issues relevant to VICSES volunteers to be presented to the VicSESVA State Board for the formulation of policy on the issues they perceive need to be addressed, and to further advocate an outcome with the VICSES CEO or VICSES Board for action. Regional Council Positions Each Council may elect members to undertake the following roles: • President • Secretary

• Director • Alternate Director

VicSESVA Board The VicSESVA State Board is comprised of Regional Council Directors. Matters raised at Regional Councils are brought to the State Board so that the Board can recognise and monitor any wide ranging issues as they develop. If appropriate, the board will present them to the respective VICSES Management stream for resolution. VicSESVA Board Positions • Chairperson • Board Member • Vice Chairperson • Board Member • Secretary • Board Member • Treasurer

PHOENIX MAGAZINE VicSESVA publishes the Phoenix Journal for VICSES volunteers. Phoenix is published four times a year and features articles and photos of interest, submitted by volunteers and staff. To register to receive your electronic copy of Phoenix, go to https://vicsesva.org.au/how-to-subscribe/

WANT TO GET INVOLVED? As a VICSES volunteer, you are welcome to participate in a VicSESVA Regional Council. Depending on the region, meetings may be held once a quarter at local Unit LHQs. The discussion is very informative and presents a great opportunity to network and share best practices across Units. VicSESVA Board meetings are also open to individual members to attend.

HISTORY For more information about the history of VicSESVA, go to https://vicsesva.org.au/our-history/

NSESVA VicSESVA is a founding member of the National SES Volunteers Association (NSESVA). For information on NSESVA and the National Raffle Campaign, go to: https://vicsesva.org.au/faq/ https://www.nsesva.org.au/

24 PHOENIX

March 2021

vicsesva.org.au

TO VicSESVA VicSESVA Activities, Advocacy and Industry Influence SUCCESSFUL ADVOCACY VicSESVA has successfully represented volunteers in: • Negotiating to meet regularly with the Minister for Emergency Services • Advocating for Unit VESEP bids • Advocating to EMV to retain the right of volunteers to go to VCAT in matters of dispute (VICSES Regulations Review) • Meeting quarterly with the VICSES Executive and raising matters of concern to volunteers which have been brought to Board meetings • Meeting quarterly with the VICSES Operations staff • Supporting and promoting the annual EMV Volunteer Welfare and Efficiency Survey • Providing grants of funds for individual volunteer welfare or hardship cases • Supporting members undertaking the VFBV leadership courses • Providing information and advice to individual members and Units • Providing a support person to individual members in matters of dispute • Collaboration with the National SES Volunteers in advocacy for matters such as transferability of skills, harmonisation of training, national recognition, awards • Implementation of the NSESVA National Raffle Scheme to establish future funding

8. VICSES internal Fleet, RCR, State WH&S, Awards, Uniform working groups 9. VICSES Community Resilience Strategy, volunteer representation 10. AFAC Volunteer Management Technical Working Group 11. AFAC/SES member Project Working Group, ‘SES Fit for Task’ 12. AFAC doctrine development ‘Volunteer Impact Assessment Guideline’ (VMTG) 13. AFAC doctrine development, ‘Volunteer inclusion Model’ (VMTG Diversity Working Group) 14. Member, AIDR Dranszen Forum 15. Member Steering Committee and Working Group, Communities Responding to Disasters: Planning for Spontaneous Volunteers Handbook (Australian Emergency Management Manual Series 2018) 16. BNHCRC member Advisory Group ‘Adapting the Sector’ 17. NSESVA Youth Strategy 18. Volunteer Group Steering Committee, Victorian Government ‘Provisional Payments Pilot (Mental Health Injury)’

EXPERTS AND ADVICE On request VicSESVA has provided experts as guest speakers, advisors or community representatives. VicSESVA Chair, David Rowlands, is a Life Member of VICSES. VicSESVA Secretary, Dr Faye Bendrups, has been recognised for her work in the EM sector by being named one of the AFR’s ‘100 Women of Influence’ in 2019. This has provided opportunities to promote the work of SES volunteers in major local and national forums, including:

• Raising the profile and interests of VICSES volunteers at local, state and national forums, including conferences, other EM agencies, interstate agencies, working groups, task forces, expert advisory panels etc.

• 2018 Informed Observer, Diversity in Disaster Conference

SECTOR COLLABORATION

• 2019 Chair, Akolade 2nd Emergency Management Leaders’ Forum

VicSESVA has extensive membership of industry forums, regular collaboration with VICSES and influence through its membership of NSESVA, including:

• 2019 Guest panellist, Public Safety and Hysteria: Leading by example in the first 24 hours of a terrorist event, Akolade 2nd Emergency Management Leaders’ Forum

1. EMV Volunteer Consultative Forum, founding member

• 2019 Facilitator, EM conference panel Wellbeing: a Range of Perspectives from People on the Ground

2. EMV Expert Reference Group, The 3Vs: Volunteer Volunteering Volunteerism – Uncovering the hidden value 3. EMV Expert Working Group, collaboration in developing Strategic Priorities for Volunteering in Emergency Management 4. Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) Chair, Alumni Network 5. Member of Organising Committee, annual ESF Emergency Management Conference 6. Facilitator, ESF Alumni Strategic Directions planning and ‘Valuing Volunteers’ project

• 2019 Expert Judge, Ch7 News Young Achiever Awards (CFA Volunteer Excellence category) • 2019 Executive Judge, Victorian Regional Achievement and Community Awards • 2019 Women in the SES: Reshaping Dynamics, AFAC19 ‘A Shift to the New Norm: Riding the Wave of Change’ international conference presentation, see www.afac.com. au/events/proceedings/29-08-19/article/109.-women-inthe-sesreshaping-dynamics

7. VESEP panel member (VICSES and EMV)

vicsesva.org.au

March 2021

PHOENIX 25

ER SE TE RVI CE VOLUN

EN STAT MERG EE

VicSESVA

AS SO CIATION

O VICT RIA

Book your donation today give blood