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Emergency Management strategy
2008-2010
Commissioner’s Message
An important function of the WA Police is the management of emergencies. The responsibilities of the WA Police in undertaking
this function are prescribed in the Emergency Management Act 2005 and Emergency Management Regulations 2006. Under
this legislation the agency has been given key roles as both a hazard management agency (HMA) and as a combat agency.
Emergency management legislation requires us to develop and maintain the ability to respond effectively to emergencies
and to work closely with other agencies during emergency management operations.
In our role as a hazard management agency, the WA Police are required to focus on preparing for and responding to
hazards for which we have primary responsibility.
As a combat agency, our role requires us to be prepared to assist other hazard management agencies respond to their hazards.
Under the legislation we must also maintain the critical whole-of-government emergency management coordination function.
As the Commissioner of Police I am the appointed State Emergency Coordinator. In this role I am responsible for selecting
District and Local Emergency Coordinators, and as such have delegated District Superintendents and Officers-in-charge of
police stations as the District and Local Emergency Coordinators respectively.
In fulfilling these roles, Emergency Coordinators develop and maintain close working relationships with agencies in their
communities that have emergency management roles, such as Local Government. Emergency Coordinators also have the
key role of providing advice and support in the development and maintenance of community emergency management plans
and arrangements. These plans and arrangements enable communities to respond effectively to any emergencies that may
impact on them.
I expect that we will take our emergency management roles seriously. In doing so, WA Police will ensure that we can fully
meet our legislative responsibilities and fulfil community expectations.
Karl J O’Callaghan APM
Commissioner of Police
The Reason for
this Strategy
The Emergency Management Strategy 2008-2010 has been
developed to communicate the roles and responsibilities of the WA
Police in relation to emergency management, as prescribed in the
Emergency Management Act 2005 and the Emergency Management
Regulations 2006.
Unfortunately, emergencies are an inevitable part of life. Whether
these emergencies are initiated by natural events (such as cyclones,
bushfires, floods, or storms) or by human-made events (such as
hazardous materials, transport accidents or acts of terrorism) they can
occur in any community, with little or no warning.
Western Australia is potentially subject to a range of both natural and
human-made hazards due to its size, varying geography and economic
wealth. With effective emergency management however, the WA Police
can contribute to safeguarding lives, property and the environment.
For this reason, the WA Police is continually striving to improve its
emergency management capability and capacity.
At any time, WA Police officers can be called upon to manage an
emergency. Effective emergency management requires a coordinated,
multilateral and comprehensive approach. Whether as a hazard
management agency, a combat agency, or as part of a whole of
government coordination role, the WA Police will play an integral role in
working collaboratively with other organisations to prepare for, mitigate
the effects of, or respond to emergencies. Emergency management is
thus an important function of policing.
What
The WA Police Emergency Management
Strategy is based on the requirements of the
WA Emergency Management Act 2005 and
Emergency Management Regulations 2006,
and is in line with the WA Police Strategic Plan
2007-2010.
The WA Police will develop and maintain
strategies to meet these legislative requirements
and community expectations.
We will:
• undertake the emergency management
coordination function
• undertake the role as a hazard management
agency
• undertake the role of an emergency
management combat agency
Through the emergency management
coordination function, we will:
• provide advice and support to Local,
District and State Emergency Management
Committees
• assist committees with the development
and maintenance of effective emergency
management plans and arrangements and
foster the development and maintenance of
productive relationships and networks
• assist hazard management agencies in the
provision of a coordinated response during
an emergency
As a hazard management agency we will:
• be responsible for preparing for and
responding to the following designated
hazards throughout WA:
»» air crash
»» road crash
»» persons lost or in distress on land
»» persons lost or in distress in the marine/
maritime environment
»» radiation escape from a nuclear powered
warship
»» space debris re-entry
»» a terrorist act
We Will Do
• prepare plans at the local, district and State levels to facilitate an effective response to these designated
hazards.
• maintain the operational capability to respond to these hazards by:
»» conducting effective training in emergency management response operations
»» developing and maintaining systems, tools and processes for effective command, control and coordination
of response operations
As a combat agency we will:
• provide effective operational support and
assistance to other hazard management
agencies in their response activities to their
designated hazards
• train our people to operate effectively in a
multi-agency emergency response operation
• continue to implement command, control and
coordination systems, tools and processes
that are compatible with other hazard
management agencies
Our objectives for emergency managem
Participate effectively as a
key member of the Western
Australian emergency
management community
In meeting this objective we will
• develop strategic partnerships to
enable our emergency management
processes to be relevant,
appropriate and compatible with
latest developments in multi-agency
emergency management at the State,
national and international levels
• participate in the design and conduct
of emergency management
multi-agency activities such as
exercises and planned events at
the local, district and State levels
• participate in emergency
management committees at the
local, district and State levels
Prepare for and respond to our
designated hazards as a hazard
management agency
In meeting this objective we will
• develop and maintain robust and
effective hazard response plans at
the local, district and State levels
for our designated hazards
• develop and maintain the
operational capability and capacity
to be able to respond effectively to
the impact of a designated hazard
on the WA community
Participate as Emergency
Coordinators at the local,
district and State levels
In meeting this objective we will
• provide advice and support
to emergency management
committees
• assist emergency management
committees to develop and
maintain effective emergency
management plans and
arrangements
• assist relevant hazard management
agencies during emergency
management operations
Prevention, Preparedness, Response,
Recovery Responsibilities
Coordination
State Emergency
Coordinator
Commissioner of
Police
STATE
DISTRICT
District Emergency
Coordinator
District Superintendent
Prevention
Preparedness
(Policy)
State Emergency
Management Committee
(SEMC)
Chair: Commissioner of
Police
Functional Groups/Sub
Committees
Emergency Services
Public Information
Lifelines
Recovery Services
State Mitigation
Health Services
Response
(Operations)
Recovery
State Disaster
Council(SDC)
State Recovery
Coordinating Committee
(declared State of
Emergency)
Chair: Department of the
Premier and Cabinet
Chair: the Premier
State Emergency
Coordination
Group(SECG)
Chair: State Emergency
Coordinator
Hazard Management
Agency (HMA)
Incident Control
Operations Area
Management Group
(OAMG)
District Emergency
Management
Committee (DEMC)
Chair: District
Superintendent
Local
Local Emergency
Coordinator
OIC Police Sub-District
Deputy Chair:
Department of Child
Protection
Local Emergency
Management
Committee (LEMC)
Incident Management
Group (IMG)
Chair: Local
Government or
nominee
Incident Management
Team (IMT)
Local Recovery
Committee
Chair: Local
Government
and
ment
Support other hazard
management agencies in
responding to their designated
hazards as a combat agency
Train our personnel in
emergency management
In meeting this objective we will
In meeting this objective we will
Ensure that our personnel are
appropriately trained:
• support response operations
• to enable effective ‘first response’
controlled by other hazard
management agencies
at an emergency scene
• to manage an effective emergency
response as both a hazard
management agency and as a
combat agency in a multi-agency
environment
• in emergency management
command, control and coordination
systems and processes
• in the roles and responsibilities of
Emergency Coordinators
Develop and maintain an
emergency management
exercise program
In meeting this objective we will
• design and conduct realistic
emergency management exercises
in conjunction with an emergency
management training program
Further advice and support relating to
emergency management is available.
Please consult the Emergency
Management Guide, or contact the
WA Police Emergency Management
Division (Emergency Management
Coordination Unit SMAIL).
Operational Response Structure
State Emergency Coordinator
(SEC)
State Emergency
Coordination Group (SECG)
Commissioner of Police
District Emergency
Coordinator (DEC)
Operations Area Management
Group (OAMG)
District Superintendent
Operations Area Manager and Key
Agencies
Local Emergency
Coordinator (LEC)
Incident Management Group (IMG)
OIC Police Sub-District
Incident Controller
and Other Agency Liaison Officers
Incident Management Team (IMT)
Planning Officer
Operations Officer
Logistics Officer
Emergency Management
Operational Order of Priorities
1. Provide for safety and health of all responders
2. Save lives
3. Reduce suffering
4. Protect public health
5. Protect government infrastructure
6. Protect property
7. Protect the environment
8. Reduce economic and social losses
Command, Control and Coordination
Control
Operates across agencies
COORDINATION
Assist the Incident
Controller
Command
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
Agencies involved in incident
Command
operates
vertically within
agencies
Emergency Management strategy
2008-2010