COUNCIL POLICY
Emergency Management
Responsible Officer:
General Manager City Services
Document No:
Approval Date:
Approved By:
Review Date:
Version No:
CPL275.2
25 June 2013
Council
25 June 2016
04
Chief Executive Officer
Authorising Officer:
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Policy is to outline Council’s responsibilities and the management
program for providing emergency management services in the City of Greater Geelong
region.
2. SCOPE
This policy applies to all Council employees involved in emergency situations, particularly
those who respond to and/or assist the community in recovering from emergencies that
occur in the Geelong Region or within other municipalities where requested.
3. REFERENCES

Emergency Management Act, 1986

Local Government Act, 1989

Emergency Management Manual Victoria (EMMV)

Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMPlan)

Geelong Heatwave Management Plan
4. DEFINITIONS

AHES – After Hours Emergency Service

CEO – Chief Executive Officer, City of Greater Geelong

DERC – (Police) Divisional Emergency Response Coordinator

MEM – Municipal Emergency Manager (i.e. General Manager, City Services)

MRM – Municipal Response Manager

MEMPlan – Municipal Emergency Management Plan

MERC – (Police) Municipal Emergency Response Coordinator

MERO – Municipal Emergency Resource Officer

Xacom Box – electronic device located at the Anakie Road Operations Centre that
records all messages sent from Council’s After Hours Emergency Service carrier to any
of the Duty Officers.
Page 1 of 4
5. COUNCIL POLICY
Council is committed to providing the following emergency services:

An effective and efficient After Hours Emergency Service (AHES) to respond to
emergencies within its normal service delivery areas 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Provision of timely and co-ordinated response and recovery activities with its resources to
assist in community emergencies as defined in the Municipal Emergency Management
Plan (MEMPlan) for the City of Greater Geelong and the Emergency Management
Manual Victoria.
The Chief Executive Officer and Municipal Emergency Manager (MEM), or in their absence,
their delegates (as per the Instrument of Appointment and Authorisation) are authorised by
Council to expend funds on the utilisation of urgently needed resources, with the Chief
Executive Officer, Municipal Emergency Manager (MEM), Mayor and Councillors being
advised of such allocation of resources as soon as practicable after the event.
Council will, where practicable, assist adjoining Councils in responding to or recovering from
an emergency event by providing resources with the authorisation of the CEO or MEM, when
requested by that Council through the Municipal or Divisional Regional Emergency
Response Co-ordinator (designated officers of Victoria Police) to Council’s Municipal
Emergency Resource Officer and/or Municipal Recovery Manager.
As Council resources are limited, they must be applied for the greatest community need
which may limit the assistance that can be given to individuals, such as sandbagging
individual properties, relocation or elevation of household goods prior to a flood event etc.
Therefore residents are expected to help themselves.
Council will pursue reimbursement of costs associated with significant resource allocation
(personnel and equipment) for community emergencies, where considered appropriate by
the Municipal Emergency Manager or Chief Executive Officer and in accordance with the
Natural Disaster Financial Arrangements (NDFA).
6. QUALITY RECORDS
Quality Records shall be retained for at least the period shown below.
Record
Municipal Emergency
Management Plan
Emergency response
records
Xacom Box Records
Level 3 or 4 Event Reports
Retention/Disposal
Responsibility
Corporate Records
Retention
Period
Permanent
Location
Corporate Records
7 years
Corporate Records
Corporate Records
Corporate Records
7 years
7 years
City Services
City Services
7. ATTACHMENTS
Level of Response Tables x 2 No.
City Services
Municipal Emergency Management Planning
Levels of Response for Municipal Operations
Table One – General Guide Excluding FLOODING
(Updated
Incident
Level
Incident Classification
‘Typical’ AHES Response
Operation


Level One
May2013)
Incident Criteria (examples only)


Maximum 10 field crews
deployed
Longer term operation from 4-8
hours.
After Hours carrier monitors all
calls and maintains contact with
Duty Officer via pager
Increasing number of requests
over Xacom box.









Emergency


Level Two

As per Level 1 operation
plus
Large allocation of plant
and staff in field, possibly
involving a municipal wide
operation.
8+ hour operation.







Level
Three
Major Emergency – MEMPlan
Operation







As per Level 2 operation plus
Municipal Emergency
Management Plan ‘activated’.
Extensive allocation of plant
and staff in the field.
Multi Agency Operation, eg
2006 Anakie Wildfire


Routine issues that cannot wait to next
working day.
Broken/dislodged pit lids
Traffic Accidents
Isolated fallen tree branches/trees
Strong Gale / Storm warnings in effect –
wind speeds 75 – 102Kph
Strong Gale /Storm warnings (75-102kph)
or Violent Storm warnings in effect – wind
speeds 103-117Kph that are generating
numerous requests for assistance
Debris blocking roadways
Isolated fallen trees
Bush / Grass fire – CFA requesting
assistance (one of two plant items req’d)
Bush / Grass Fire, CFA requesting
additional resource support (more
extensive support requested than Level 1
and over an extended period of time).
Other councils/agencies requesting
assistance (ie resources)
Damage to buildings
Cyclone Force 1 warnings in effect – wind
speeds 118 –178Kph.
Isolated resident evacuations required
Large landslides occurring/threatening
Rostering of staff required/staff catering
Resident evacuations occurring.
Severe Incident eg Explosion;
Earthquake; Major Asset damage
Incident requiring multiple resident
evacuations / relocations.
Cyclone Force 2 warnings in effect – wind
speeds +180Kph.
MECC Activated
Incident Controller /
Manager
Rostered Duty Officer
managing operations with
Backup Duty Officer
assisting when required
Notes:
Duty Officer monitors
Xacom box and logs info
pertaining to jobs,
deployment of plant and
personnel on a white board.
Infrastructure Services
Command Centre
Notification

Not active, however, as the
number or frequency of calls
being received increases the
Duty Officer may choose to
operate out of the most
convent Operations Centre

Back-up Duty Officer field
based
.

Level Two Incident
Management Team in place,
viz:
 Level 1 plus
 CoGG Incident Manager
 Operations Coordinator
 Logistics Coordinator
Council MEOC’s Activated and
manned by Level 2 Incident
Management Team




Level Three Incident
Management Team as per
MEMPlan and relevant
operations-plan viz:
 CoGG Incident Manager
 Operations Coordinator
 Logistics Coordinator
 Administration
Coordinator
Council MEOCs Activated and
fully manned by Level 3
Incident Management Team.
MECC activated if MERO and
Police MERC agree



Contact Coordinator
Maintenance and advise
on situation when pager
call volume prevents
acknowledgments being
carried out in a timely
manner.
Contact Coordinator
Emergency Management
when there is property
damage and resident(s)
require relocation /
evacuation.
Coordinator Emergency
Management/MERO
requested to return to Anakie
Road Ops.
Key supervisory staff activated
(if needed).
Mobilisation of necessary
Outdoor personnel and City
Services administrative staff.
If necessary, MERO to notify
Municipal Recovery Manager
At appropriate time MERO to
notify MEM
As per Level 2 plus
Stores personnel activated.
MEM to advise CEO/Mayor
Municipal Emergency Management Planning
Levels of Response for Municipal Operations
Table Two – General Guide FLOODING
(Updated May 2013)
NOTIFICATION
INCIDENT
LEVEL
INCIDENT CLASSIFICATION
INCIDENT CRITERIA (examples only)

Level One
‘Typical’ AHES Response
Operation




Maximum 10 field crews deployed
Longer term operation from 4-8
hours.
After Hours carrier monitors all calls
and maintains contact with Duty
Officer via pager
Increasing number of requests over
Xacom box.







Emergency


Level Two

As per Level 1 operation plus
Large allocation of plant and staff in
field, possibly involving a municipal
wide operation.
8+ hour operation.






Major Emergency Situation
Level Three



As per Level 2 operation plus
Municipal Emergency Management
Plan ‘activated’.

Extensive allocation of plant and
staff in the field.

Multi Agency Operation
response, eg 1995 Flood





Routine issues that cannot wait to next
working day.
Minor and isolated flooding of roads, etc.
Flooding of Barrabool Road (2.1m)
Minor flooding of the Barwon (2.5m) &
Moorabool rivers (2.7m)
Flash Flood/ Severe Storm warnings in
effect.
Moderate flooding (3.1m) of Barwon River
with predictions below 3.1m at McIntyre
Bridge
Waurn Ponds Creek in flood.
Moderate flooding of Moorabool River (RL
4.00m )
Other Agencies seeking assistance (plant &
labour – one or two plant items requested)
Advice from FWO that properties are
threatened by flood waters from Lake
Victoria
Flood damage to buildings.
Isolated resident evacuations required.
Flooding of Hovells Creek. (no pumping
req’d but monitoring levees & some road
closures req’d)
CoGG wide heavily, mostly stationary rain
storm event over Geelong with rainfall radar
showing dark pink & red intensity
Major flood of Moorabool River Batesford
gauge board exceeding (4.9m)
Other Agencies seeking greater assistance
(labour & plant ) that exceeds Level 1
criteria
Multiple resident evacuations required
Extensive flooding with FWO advising of
major flooding of Barwon River (4.3m).
Hovells Creek in flood & heavy rain over
Lara – pumping req’d or levees under
threat of being overtopped/failure
Major flooding at Lake Victoria (1.4m
estimated)
MECC Activated
INCIDENT CONTROLLER
Rostered Duty Officer
managing operations with
Backup Duty Officer assisting
when required
Notes:
Duty Officer monitors Xacom
box and logs info pertaining to
jobs, deployment of plant and
personnel on a white board.
INFRASTRUCTURE
SERVICES COMMAND
CENTRE

Contact Coordinator
Maintenance and advise
on situation when pager
call volume prevents
acknowledgments being
carried out in a timely
manner.
Contact Coordinator
Emergency Management
when there is property
damage and resident(s)
require relocation /
evacuation.
Not active, however, as
the number or frequency
of calls being received
increases the Duty
Officer may choose to
operate out of the most 
convent Operations
Centre
Back-up Duty Officer field based

Level Two Incident Management
Team in place, viz:
 Level 1 plus
 CoGG Incident Manager
 Operations Coordinator
 Logistics Coordinator
 Flood Warning Officer
Council MEOC’s
Activated and manned
by Level 2 Incident
Management Team





Level Three Incident
Management Team as per
MEMPlan and relevant
operations-plan viz:
 CoGG Incident Manager
 Operations Coordinator
 Logistics Coordinator
 Administration Coordinator
 Flood Warning Officer


Council MEOCs
Activated and fully
manned by Level 3
Incident Management
Team.


Coordinator Emergency
Management/MERO
asked to return to Anakie
Ops Centre.
Key Supervisory Staff
activated. (If required)
Follow up procedures as
per Hovells Creek
Response Plan. (If
flooding)
Mobilisation of necessary
Outdoor Personnel.
Recovery Manager (if
needed)
At appropriate time
MERO to notify MEM &
MRM
As per Level 2 plus.
Stores personnel
activated.
MEM to advise CEO.
Recovery Manager (if
needed)
In instances where moderate flooding/storm damage is occurring and in all cases where Hovells Creek Response Plan is activated, the Coordinator Emergency
Management / MERO and FWO are to be paged/contacted and requested to attend the Anakie Road Operations Centre.