Emergency Management Queensland

Last updated

Emergency Management Queensland
Division overview
TypeEmergency management
JurisdictionQueensland
HeadquartersCorner Park Road and Kedron Park Road, Kedron, Queensland
Minister responsible
  • Minister for Police and Community Safety
Parent departmentDepartment of Community Safety
Website www.emergency.qld.gov.au/emq/

Emergency Management Queensland was the emergency division of the Department of Community Safety. The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service also belonged to the department. It aimed to plan and prepare for disasters as well as rescue and protect persons, property and the environment from disaster and emergency. Jack Dempsey, Minister for Police and Community Safety was responsible for the division.

Emergency management is the organization and management of the resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies. The aim is to reduce the harmful effects of all hazards, including disasters.

The Department of Community Safety was a Queensland Government department established in March 2009 and dissolved in 2015. The department formed from a merger of the former Department of Emergency Services and the Department of Corrective Services. It is headquartered at Kedron in Brisbane.

John Mark Dempsey is an Australian politician. He is the Mayor of the Bundaberg Regional Council. He previously served as a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2015.

Contents

Functions

Emergency Management Queensland was responsible for disaster preparedness, disaster awareness and the coordination of various rescue, response and recovery services in the state. The division provided support to the State Emergency Service in Queensland, [1] worked closely with the Bureau of Meteorology and coordinated volunteers for disaster clean-up operations. It also provided an air ambulance service called EMQ Helicopter Rescue.

Queensland State Emergency Service

The Queensland State Emergency Service (QSES) in Queensland is a volunteer based organisation of the Queensland Government and forms part of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), responsible for disaster management and as an emergency services auxiliary.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together the state meteorological services that existed before then. The states officially transferred their weather recording responsibilities to the Bureau of Meteorology on 1 January 1908.

The division had two Bell 412 utility helicopters and three AW139 twin-engined helicopters with one each based in Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane. [2] All three AW139s were grounded after the same model aircraft crashed in China and Brazil in August 2011. Prior to this grounding the helicopters experienced tail and rotor problems and were the subject of criticism over their expense from supporters of other rescue helicopters, which means two of EMQs Bell 412s were used for medivacs during the AW139 grounding. [2] The other rescue helicopters operating in Queensland are RACQ LifeFlight with 14 government funded helicopters, RACQ CQ Rescue, RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue, RACQ NQ Rescue and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service.

Bell 412 Utility transport helicopter family by Bell

The Bell 412 is a twin-engine utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.

AgustaWestland AW139 Helicopter

The AgustaWestland AW139 is a 15-seat medium-sized twin-engined helicopter developed and produced principally by AgustaWestland. It is marketed at several different roles, including VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, fire fighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief, and maritime patrol. In addition to AgustaWestland's manufacturing facilities in Italy and the United States, the AW139 is produced in Russia by HeliVert, a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Russian Helicopters.

Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service Australian helicopter surf lifesaving service

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service is a helicopter surf lifesaving service that operates in Australia.

Operations

Emergency Management Queensland may assist communities experiencing threats from floods, cyclones, storm surge, severe storms, landslides, heatwaves and bushfires and to a lesser extent earthquakes and tsunamis. [3]

EMQ managed Operation Yasi Assist, a multi-service activity by the Australian Defence Force as a contribution to the response to Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi. The EMQ together with Surf Life Saving Queensland established rescue coordination centres in Brisbane to provide emergency assistance to residents who were affected by the 2010–2011 Queensland floods. [4]

Operation Yasi Assist was a multi-Service activity by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as part of the response to Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi. Coordinated to aid civilian emergency response efforts, at Federal inter-departmental level it was managed by Emergency Management Queensland. It comprised units and personnel from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operating as Joint Task Force 664. The operation was initially commanded by Brigadier Stuart Smith, based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.

Australian Defence Force Combined military forces of Australia

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and a number of 'tri-service' units. The ADF has a strength of just under 80,000 full-time personnel and active reservists, and is supported by the Department of Defence and several other civilian agencies.

See also

Emergency medical services in Australia are provided by state ambulance services, which are a division of each state or territorial government, and by St John Ambulance in both Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

The National Council for Fire & Emergency Services, is the peak body responsible for representing fire, emergency services and land management agencies in the Australasian region. It was formed in 1993 and has 34 full members and 13 affiliate members.

Related Research Articles

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CHC Helicopter helicopter services company

CHC Helicopter is a large helicopter services company, specializing in the following services:

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited (RACQ) is a motoring club and mutual organisation, providing roadside assistance, insurance, travel, finance and other services to its Queensland members. It is a member of the Australian Automobile Association.

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Emergency Management BC (EMBC) used to be known as the Provincial Emergency Program and is a division of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General of British Columbia, Canada. EMBC works with local governments and other provincial and federal agencies year round, providing coordination and support before, during and after emergencies. EMBC is administered under the Emergency Program Act.

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Emergency Management in Australia is a shared responsibility between the Government appointed body Emergency Management Australia and local councils.

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References

  1. "Welcome to the Queensland State Emergency Service". Department of Community Safety. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Opposition slams helicopter fiasco". Warwick Daily News. The Warwick Newspaper. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  3. "Potential Hazards". Department of Community Safety. 18 December 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  4. "Emergency Response Groups". Surf Life Saving Queensland. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2012.