The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria – in collaboration with the emergency management sector and as part of the emergency management planning reforms:
a) review, update and confirm arrangements for all tiers of control, including the flexible application of areas of operations, with a particular focus on the triggers for activation, integration with other tiers of control and clearly defined roles and responsibilities
b) exercise these arrangements to ensure they are appropriate and familiar during emergencies.
EMV and agencies will confirm control arrangements in readiness for 2020–21 summer season, including the intended use and application of any area of operation, and subsequently exercise the state and regional control teams to ensure arrangements and processes are understood.
As noted in the progress summary for Action 12.1, the SEMP outlines control arrangements for emergencies. The SEMP includes content on the designation of an area of operation, to manage a complex emergency that may be geographically located over several municipalities or several regions.
In advance of the first SEMP's release, EMV hosted three briefing webinars in September 2020 to support understanding of its arrangements and processes. The webinars remain accessible on the sector's EM Learning platform.
EMV recently held three emergency scenario tests (two regional and one state) as part of its SEMP and REMP scenario testing pilot project, with more to be completed in future (refer to Action 12.3). IGEM observed all three scenario tests and notes that they involved personnel who would form part of regional or state control teams in an emergency event.