Department's responsibilities in emergencies

The department plans and prepares for the health response in emergencies, including consequence planning, community preparedness, and capability planning for the health system.

Planning and preparing for emergencies in collaboration with other key stakeholders is an essential role for the department.

Emergency management planning

Planning for and responding to an emergency may involve:

• developing capability for prevention, preparation, response and recovery across the hospital, primary health and aged care sectors
• leading planning across all Victorian health services
• directing the strategic health response and preparing for emergencies with major health consequences implementing legislation and programs, and monitoring procedures to minimise public health risk from communicable and non-communicable diseases (such as epidemic thunderstorm asthma), contaminated food, contaminated drinking water supplies, extreme heat and radiation
• acting as a control agency for human disease or epidemics, food or drinking water contamination and incidents that involve radiological substances and intentional biological releases
• coordinating deployment of qualified health professionals in response to interstate or Commonwealth requests
• planning for clients and services, as set out in the Emergency preparedness clients and services policy.

Mitigation activities for emergencies

The department participates in mitigation activities for emergencies, including bushfires, hazardous materials incidents, heatwaves, viral pandemics and water supply disruptions.

• Bushfires: community education, awareness and engagement to prevent and respond to bushfire smoke
• Hazardous materials: reduction of HAZMAT use (including inventory minimisation); HAZMAT storage design and maintenance (including design of transport arrangements, consequence modelling and readiness)
• Extreme heat: education and community resilience for heatwaves; response planning for extreme heat; maintenance of the Heat Health Alert system
• Viral pandemics: vaccination; maintaining health guidelines and relevant standards of codes; community education; health sector pandemic planning, surge capacity planning; surveillance and modelling data from outbreaks, research of historic events
• Water supply disruption: maintaining legislative framework and regulations

More detailed information on the department’s responsibilities before an emergency can be found in the State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP).

Emergency management in Victoria

The State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP) contains policy and planning for emergency management in Victoria and provides details about the roles different organisations play in the emergency management arrangements.

The State Health Emergency Response Plan (SHERP) describes the arrangements for the management of health emergencies in Victoria. It is used by people working in emergency services, such as paramedics, doctors, nurses and people working in public health, to help them effectively coordinate health services for the community during emergencies.

Emergency management legislation

The Emergency Management Act 2013 established Emergency Management Victoria (EMV), which leads the Victorian Government’s emergency management reform agenda.

Further information about the role of EMV and emergency management in Victoria can be found on the EMV website(opens in a new window).

The Emergency Management Act 1986(opens in a new window) and the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008(opens in a new window) also form part of Victoria’s emergency management legislation.

During major emergencies the deparment works to minimise the impact of emergencies on individuals, communities and the health system. The department is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the health system’s response and works in partnership with emergency services, Victorian government agencies and non-government organisations to ensure there is a whole-of-government response.

Emergency management response (including relief)

Real time response activities for the department may include:

• providing public information to protect the community during health emergencies
• providing public health and mental health information and promoting services available during and after major emergencies
• coordinating training and the deployment of health professionals to enable Victoria to contribute to national or international deployments of health and medical teams
• reducing preventable death, illness and disability in all health emergencies and other emergencies with potential health impacts

More detailed information on the department’s responsibilities during an emergency can be found in the State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP).

State Health Emergency Response Plan

The State Health Emergency Response Plan, edition 4 (SHERP4) sets out the arrangements and describes the integrated approach and shared responsibilities for health emergency management between the department, Ambulance Victoria and the emergency management sector.

Further information about SHERP4 is available at State Health Emergency Response Arrangements.

After major emergencies the department works to minimise the impact of emergencies on individuals, communities and the health system. The department is the Recovery Lead Agency (RLAC).

Emergency management relief

The relief activities may include:

• providing health and medical assistance
• providing mental health services and information
• providing public health advice
• advising councils on interim accommodation standards for displaced peoples
• providing advice on wellbeing
• maintaining community access to primary and acute health services
• providing health advice to councils, other agencies and the community

As a control agency the department’s relief responsibilities include issuing public information, which is essential to assisting communities make informed decisions about their safety. This may be issued via the Victorian Public Warning System, public meetings, newsletters, advertising and media releases.

The department is a relief support agency (RelSA) to Ambulance Victoria, who provides pre-hospital care to people affected by emergencies; establishes field primary care clinics; and provides other health and medical relief assistance measures.

Recovery after an emergency is undertaken across four environments, social, economic, built and natural. The department supports only social recovery, with a focus on health and medical assistance. Municipal councils support the department in providing public health advice to their communities.

More detailed information on the department’s responsibilities after an emergency can be found in the State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP).