Fire or life threatening emergencies: 000
Emergency Information: 13 3337
SES Emergency Assistance: 132 500
Fire or life threatening emergencies: 000
Emergency Information: 13 3337
SES Emergency Assistance: 132 500
The Emergency Management Act 2005 (EM Act) designates local governments as a Combat Agency for fire suppression within their area of responsibility.
Note: This information is limited to requirements under the EM Act and State EM Framework. Local Governments may have additional responsibilities and obligations under other legislation. State Hazard Plan – Fire, provides further guidance to local governments in relation to roles and responsibilities for fire across prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
Local governments are combat agencies responsible for the emergency management activity of fire suppression (r31).
A Controlling Agency is responsible for managing the response to an incident, as outlined in the relevant State Hazard Plan (s5.2).
Carry out fire suppression activities on land within its jurisdiction (Appendix E) and assume the role of Controlling Agency (Appendix C).
Local governments are designated as Controlling Agencies for fire response arrangements within local government districts outside of Gazetted Fire Districts and DBCA managed land (s1.3.3).
The initial Controlling Agency for response by area of responsibility is outlined in Appendix D.
All response personnel operating on a fire ground should be trained to a standard no less than the minimum standard (or equivalent) recommended by the HMA (s3.4).
Local governments have certain responsibilities to support the Hazard Management Agency (HMA). Key responsibilities include:
The ability of each local government to meet the responsibilities identified in the State Hazard Plan – Fire (Appendix C) should be considered by the HMA. Any specific considerations or constraints should be captured within the LEMA.
DFES provides advice and support to local governments including training courses for local government staff and volunteers involved in fire suppression and mitigation.
As recommended by State Hazard Plan – Fire.
Year-round planned burning and bushfire suppression training and support material for bushfire management practitioners in the sector. Includes links to publicly available online training courses.
Emergency services volunteers registered with DFES can access information and resources to support their role with incident management. The Volunteer Hub provides access to online training (through eAcademy) and operational systems like FESMaps, WebEOC and AVL. All local government employees working in emergency services can request access to the Volunteer Hub through their DFES regional office.
A Guidance Note is available from OBRM and the DFES Volunteer Hub outlining principles for protecting Aboriginal heritage during bushfire suppression and mitigation activities and a process for gaining consent and approval for activities that could harm Aboriginal heritage.
Guidelines for property owners to understand their responsibilities when fighting fires on or near their land.
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Local governments need to plan and prepare to manage small incidents and emergencies locally. They also need to be ready to provide facilities, resources, information and local plans to support Hazard Management Agencies or Controlling Agencies manage larger emergencies.
Some local governments may be a Combat Agency responsible for the activity of fire suppression (s6, EM Regulations r31, State Hazard Plan - Fire).
Local emergency management arrangements (LEMA) must list appropriate facilities and existing infrastructure available for use during emergencies (s5.9.5) including evacuation centres (s5.7.4).
Traffic management planning for local roads requires coordinated planning by Controlling Agency and local government (s5.8.2).
Where practicable, local governments must assist the Controlling Agency and other agencies with public information (s5.6.12, s5.6.13).
The local government must coordinate public communications with the Hazard Management Agency (HMA) during response (s5.6.21).
In an emergency, the Incident Controller may request local governments to:
State Hazard Plans (SHP) and State Support Plans (SSP) describe the roles and responsibilities of local governments in support of the HMA or Controlling Agency for different hazards (Appendix C).
Local governments need to plan and prepare to effectively fulfill their responsibilities during emergencies – whether they are leading the response or supporting the HMA. This information is a fundamental part of LEMA.
It is recommended that local government have a handbook that collates all operational arrangements, resources, contacts and other local information which is readily available to local government staff and can be shared with the HMA or Controlling Agency.
The handbook should be short and concise, containing only the information needed in an emergency, including:
An incident support handbook template is under development through the LEMA Project.
An incident support handbook should identify a local government’s capacity to undertake functions assigned, to ensure availability of local support and resources is understood by the HMA. It may also be referred to as a Grab and Go, a Resource and Contacts Register, an Incident Support Plan or an Incident Toolkit.
Provides guidance to emergency management agencies, and those who have a role in providing traffic management during an emergency.
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During emergencies, the Hazard Management Agency is responsible for managing evacuation. The Department of Communities will coordinate emergency relief and support services, where directed by the Hazard Management Agency or Controlling Agency. These services include emergency accommodation such as evacuation centres. Local government plays a vital role in supporting these services, providing suitable facilities and sharing information about community needs.
A Hazard Management Agency (HMA) has the power to evacuate people and animals from an emergency area (EM Act s67).
The Department of Communities is responsible for providing emergency relief and support services for people needing additional help during an emergency (EM Act s6) (EM Regulations r.32).
Local governments must identify appropriate evacuation centres and refuge sites (s5.7.4).
Local emergency management arrangements (LEMA) are to document evacuation plans, including specific arrangements for people and places at higher risk. These must be accessible to HMAs and Controlling Agencies (s5.3.2).
The Department of Communities is responsible for coordinating the operation of evacuation centres to receive and support evacuees (s5.3.2).
Describes how the Department of Communities will provide emergency relief and support to the community and the requirements and roles for local government.
Recommends that local government identify facilities that could be used to support at risk populations in a heat wave, including consideration of back-up energy supply.
During an emergency, the HMA (or Controlling Agency) may recommend or direct the evacuation of people from homes, schools, commercial precincts, tourist facilities and other public areas to keep them safe. Evacuations may be voluntary or compulsory and may last a few hours or several days.
LEMA should identify groups of people and locations at higher risk who require assistance during evacuation, e.g. a register of higher risk sites such as schools and aged care facilities. If the local government has developed plans for evacuations of facilities or people or places at higher risk, these plans should be included in the LEMA (Refer to People at Higher Risk).
Consideration also needs to be given to safe places for animals in an evacuation, as some people will not evacuate if there is no safe place for their animals and non-assistance animals are not permitted inside evacuation centres (Refer Planning for Animals in Emergencies).
Local governments in consultation with Department of Communities (Communities) must identify buildings or facilities that are suitable for use as an evacuation centre or refuge site (State Hazard Plan - Heatwave). These facilities must be nominated in the LEMA with information about the facilities available and access arrangements.
Communities works with local governments to create a Local Emergency Relief and Support Plan (LERSP) for each area. The LERSP will include how and when evacuation centres or refuge sites will be opened. The arrangements in this plan will complement the LEMA and are reviewed annually.
Communities are responsible for operating evacuation centres and supporting evacuees with food, clothes, personal support, financial support, registration and reunification. Communities may request a local government to open an evacuation centre. These arrangements will be documented in the LERSP and incident support handbook.
Provides an overview of the evacuation process and templates to assist with planning.
An incident support handbook template is under development through the LEMA Project.
The incident support handbook should detail how local government supports Communities with the opening of evacuation centres.
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During an emergency the local government must coordinate public information with the Hazard Management Agency and should have a plan on how this will be done at a local level.
The local government must coordinate public communications with the Hazard Management Agency (HMA) during response (s5.6.21).
Local government may be asked to deploy public information and media staff to assist the Controlling Agency or State Emergency Public Information Coordinator (SEPIC) where practicable (s5.6.13).
On the request of the SEPIC and, where practicable, local governments are to deploy media or other staff to participate in HMA activities and/or, when established, Public Information Team meetings (s3.3.7).
Communities facing threats or impacts urgently need clear, timely information and guidance to help them understand what is happening or likely to happen, what actions to take, and what to expect.
During the response phase of an emergency the local government must coordinate and share public information under the leadership of the HMA or Controlling Agency, such as information on Emergency WA
Arrangements for managing and disseminating communications in an emergency should be set out in local emergency management arrangements, including:
See also Communicating in Recovery
An incident support handbook template is under development through the LEMA Project.
An incident support handbook should identify a local government’s capacity to undertake functions assigned, to ensure availability of local support and resources is understood by the HMA. It may also be referred to as a Grab and Go, a Resource and Contacts Register, an Incident Support Plan or an Incident Toolkit.
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Local governments should establish arrangements for unbudgeted expenditure, emergency procurement and financial record-keeping in and after emergency, as per the provisions of the Local Government Act 1995 and Regulations.
Local governments may use municipal funds for unbudgeted costs where expenditure is authorised in advance by the mayor or president in an emergency (s6.8(1)(c).
Local governments may set aside money for use for a purpose in a future financial year by establishing a reserve account (s6.11(1)).
Local governments do not have to publicly invite tenders for goods and services if the expenditure was authorised in advance for an emergency, if it is associated with a State of Emergency, or obtained through the WALGA Preferred Supplier Program (r.11.2).
If local governments are directed to support an emergency response and incur costs as a result, the agency that directed the local government is responsible for paying some of those costs (s5.12).
Local governments will incur unbudgeted costs and need to spend their own money during an emergency. Some of these costs may be reimbursable by the Hazard Management Agency or Controlling Agency if the local government has acted under their direction. Other costs may be reimbursable through the Local Government Grants Scheme (LGGS) or recovery funding arrangements. However, many costs will not be reimbursable. Local governments may choose to establish a reserve account to set aside funds for emergency expenditure.
The Local Government Act 1995 provides that, in an emergency, the mayor or president may authorise the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to incur unbudgeted expenditure to respond to the emergency. The authorisation must be provided in advance of expenditure so the CEO should confirm this authorisation as quickly as possible when an emergency arises.
Emergency expenditure must be disclosed in the local government’s annual financial statement. It is recommended that local governments establish a cost centre to capture expenditure relating to the emergency. This will help with reporting, reimbursements if eligible, and in understanding the costs of the emergency to inform future planning.
To maximise reimbursement and available financial assistance, local governments should keep comprehensive records of all expenditure incurred in an emergency. This should include the exact cost, an invoice where possible, a description of how the money was spent and details of who directed or authorised the expenditure. Photographic evidence is also recommended.
Fact Sheets outlining the evidential requirements of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements Western Australia if applicable.
Related local government documents may include:
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Members of the public may offer donations, goods and services and volunteer their time to support people impacted by an emergency during response and early recovery.
Local governments should undertake planning to manage spontaneous volunteers (s4.72).
Offers of assistance and donations, as well as requests for volunteer assistance or donated goods, should be coordinated through the Local Recovery Coordination Group (s6.91).
All donations of cash resulting from a public appeal should be directed to the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund, in accordance with State EM Recovery Procedure 5.1 (s6.10).
Spontaneous volunteers is a term that refers to people who offer help during and after emergencies but are not part of existing volunteering brigades, units or organisations. Spontaneous volunteers may provide valuable support and supplement the capacity of formal volunteers. However, the involvement of spontaneous volunteers requires additional oversight and management to manage risks and protect the safety and well-being of community members and the volunteers themselves.
Managing the receipt, storage, sorting and distribution of donated goods can also become a big task in an emergency, requiring numerous people, physical space and transport.
It is recommended local governments develop arrangements for managing spontaneous volunteers and donations in advance of an emergency.
This might include:
Local governments need to consider their responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020, in particular that without formal onboarding processes and training and procedures for spontaneous volunteers they won’t be covered under the insurance and liability protections available to local government.
Useful resources are listed on this page to assist local governments undertake planning for this requirement. The following organisations may also provide advice:
A framework and supporting materials to help manage spontaneous volunteers in an emergency.
Provides practical guidance for planning and integrating spontaneous volunteers into disaster response effort.
A resource provided by LGIS for managing volunteers including advice on spontaneous volunteers.
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