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Recommendation 1: Review preparedness arrangements

Find out what the government is doing in response to this recommendation from the IGEM Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian bushfire season: Phase 1 report.

On this page

The actions on this page are identified in the Victorian Government response to Recommendation 1 from the IGEM Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian Fire Season - Phase 1 report.

IGEM Recommendation 1: Preparedness arrangements

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) recommends that responder agencies and Emergency Management Victoria review preparedness arrangements to ensure procedural documentation (including plans), recruitment, briefings and training are completed before significant seasonal events are likely to occur.

Seasonal preparedness should culminate in attestations of assurance to confirm that:

Actions

Action 1.1: Adapt preparedness planning arrangements, including training and accreditation, for COVID-19

Emergency Management Victoria is working with the sector to adapt its preparedness planning arrangements, including training and accreditation, to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions.

Action 1.2: Deliver earlier pre-season preparedness briefings, including the State seasonal outlook

The emergency management sector is on track to deliver earlier pre-season preparedness briefings, including its State seasonal outlook, to inform briefings and training sessions across regional and municipal levels.

Action 1.3: Invest in sector capability and capacity through recruitment, training and accreditation of key roles

Ahead of this fire season, the Victorian Government will invest in sector capacity and capability through recruitment, training and accreditation of key roles. Forest Fire Management Victoria has already started recruiting project firefighting personnel in response to the seasonal outlook, to ensure adequate time for capability development training.

Action 1.4: Release the Emergency Risks in Victoria Report – 2020 to describe Victoria’s emergency related risks

Before the 2020-21 bushfire season, Emergency Management Victoria will release an updated Emergency Risk in Victoria report, confirming the highest priority risks in Victoria.

Action 1.5: Deliver the Victorian State Emergency Management Plan

Emergency Management Victoria will release the first Victorian State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP) in September 2020. This will articulate Victoria’s preparedness arrangements, including the command and control structures and plans and procedures necessary to efficiently and effectively undertake emergency responses.

Action 1.6: Annual attestations of preparedness arrangements to address seasonal risk

In the lead-up to the 2020-21 fire season, Emergency Management Victoria will work with responder agencies to review arrangements to ensure completion of all required:

This will culminate in an attestation by the Emergency Management Commissioner to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services on heightened preparedness arrangements informed by seasonal risk factors on behalf of responder agencies. This is to be delivered by 1 November 2020 and in subsequent years.

Action 1.7: Review Victoria’s State Bushfire Plan

Emergency Management Victoria and the sector will commence a review of Victoria’s State Bushfire Plan ahead of the 2021-22 fire season. The State Bushfire Plan is a sub-plan of the State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) and the principal document that guides the state’s bushfire emergency arrangements.

The Plan will be reviewed against the forthcoming State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP), which will replace the SERP in September 2020.

Action 1.8: Broaden attestation process to address a wider range of emergency risks, including non-seasonal risks

The attestation process will be broadened to address a wider range of emergency risks, including non-seasonal risks. This will reinforce the requirements for the sector to be prepared to respond to any emergency event on any day of the year.

An update on these actions can be found in IGEM’s progress report.

Updated 11 August 2022

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