St John Ambulance SA Inc. Annual Report 2019-2020

25

St John Ambulance Australia SA Inc Annual Report 2019/20

STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE

STRENGTHENING SA’S ABILITY TO PREPARE, RESPOND AND RECOVER FROM EMERGENCY

As a community organisation operating purely for the benefit of the South Australian community, we take our role in the State Emergency Management Plan very seriously. St John SA contributes to the Plan as a key first aid provider, increasing the state’s preparedness, response and recovery capacity in the event of a State Emergency. As part of the Ambulance and First Aid Functional Service, we can readily mobilise responders to provide support to emergency services during times of bushfires, floods, extreme weather events, and as we have seen in the last year, unprecedented events like a pandemic. More recently we have exercised our role in response to the summer 2019/20 bushfires, which saw us providing first aid support to firefighters on the front line, as well those displaced to Evacuation and Recovery Centres, and subsequently in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We value the multi-agency approach the State Emergency Management Plan fosters for times of State Emergency or disaster so that the South Australian community can be most effectively supported and protected.

Responsibilities

Readiness to respond

State-wide resources/coordination 653 OPERATIONS ADULTS 71

Provide a structured command, communications and logistics capacity under the Ambulance & First Aid Functional Service (A&FAFS) - First Aid Functional Group: • Activate/deploy personnel • First aid/casualty triage (on scene/treatment centres/hospitals/welfare facilities) • Patient evacuation (excluding rescue) • Communications 45 PERIODS OF SUPPORT AT EMERGENCIES (bushfires, extreme weather events) 2 PERIODS ON STANDBY

First response crews are backed by state-wide infrastructure including fleet vehicles, comprehensive medical equipment, command, communications and logistics capabilities. 38 MOBILE FIRST AID UNITS (STRETCHER CAPABLE) 15 SUPPORT FLEET (VEHICLES) 2 COMMAND/ COMMUNICATIONS UNIT 4 MAJOR VENUE COVERAGE 1 ST JOHN SA STATE OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTRE

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS 24/7 STATE DUTY OFFICER & DISASTER RESPONSE COORDINATOR, PAGERS & GOVERNMENT RADIO NETWORK

Working relationships with key stakeholders

STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

Established working relationships with key emergency service providers enable us to respond cohesively.

STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS Emergency/Disaster response

STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SA Health, Dept of Human Services, Emergency Services

ST JOHN AMBULANCE AUSTRALIA Interstate and International Development/Assistance

Emergency service partners:

SA Police (SAPOL) SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) Country Fire Service (CFS) State Emergency Service (SES) Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) SA Sea Rescue Squadron Surf Life Saving SA

SA AMBULANCE SERVICE (SAAS) Service agreement

SA AMBULANCE SERVICE (SAAS) State Controller

ST JOHN AMBULANCE AUSTRALIA SA INC Operations Branch Full time staff Statewide resources, vehicles and equipment *

Volunteer: www.stjohnsa.com.au/emergencyresponse Donate: www.stjohnsa.com.au/donate

SA COUNTRY FIRE SERVICE (SACFS)

AMBULANCE AND FIRST AID FUNCTIONAL SERVICES First Aid Functional Group

SURF LIFE SAVING SA INC MOU to support St John SA

*Including 24/7 State Duty Officer & Disaster Response Coordinator, Pagers & Government Radio Network