COMMent Newsletter July 2010

A message from the Chief Executive

As some of you will already know, the National Emergency Management Committee (NEMC) - the new body which replaced the Australian Emergency Management Committee (AEMC) - had its first meeting in Canberra in April. The membership of this new committee has been broadened to include representatives from both the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) and the Emergency Management (EM) sector from each jurisdiction.

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From the Board

Board visits Copper Coast

The diversity of emergency response efforts to protect the people and property on the Copper Coast was the key focus of the fire and emergency service sector's Board visit to the region on 27 May.

Our People

SES Chief Officer sets high standards

State Emergency Service (SES) Chief Officer Stuart Macleod has capped off a long and rich history with the SES with his recent retirement.

Have you nominated?

There are several awards open for nomination that you may wish to nominate yourself, or one of your colleagues for. These are the Laurie Lavelle Award, the AFSM, the ESM and the Public Service Medal.

Building Partnerships

Unity Through Sport - 2010 SAPES GAMES

Congratulations to everyone that competed in the 2010 SA Police and Emergency Services (SAPES) Games. With the support of the eligible agencies, the 2010 Games again broke all records, increasing approximately 10% in competitor numbers on the 2009 record, with over 1,200 competitors.

AFSM medal a fitting finale for Trudy

The honour of receiving the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) was a fitting finale for Trudy Whelan prior to her retirement. Trudy has worked tirelessly and with great dedication for over 30 years to ensure the psychological wellbeing of fire fighters.

Chance call to fire ground began CFS association for Tony

Tony Wege's chance calling to a fire ground back in 1980 began an association with the Country Fire Service (CFS) which has culminated in his being awarded a Queen's Birthday AFSM.

Bob's tireless work with SES rewarded

Long serving Eyre Peninsula State Emergency Service (SES) volunteer Robert Pycroft has been awarded an Emergency Service Medal (ESM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of his tireless voluntary work with the SES.

Seamless Integration

Information Management Update

Back in March all sector staff were invited to get their creative juices flowing and come up with a catchy name for the sector wide information management system. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an entry - over 45 entries were received and the Records Management steering committee certainly found it tough deciding the winner.

Flexible learning - getting the "magic in the mix."

Bronte Moran, Coordinator Training and Development with SAFECOM, has developed a simple and practical, four-step decision making process that can be used to build a flexible training strategy.