Be Your Best, Join The SES

Joining the SES

The SES - Always There Always Aware

The State Emergency Service (SES) is a volunteer organisation, established by an Act of Parliament in 1975. Under the Act, every local authority in Queensland is responsible for maintaining SES Units within their communities. The SES Units are made up of local people who have volunteered to prepare themselves and their communities to minimise the effects of a disaster. SES volunteers to not receive payment.

Under the motto, "Be Aware", the basic concept of the SES is to encourage self-help and mutual assistance within each community. The SES Units support the statutory services (Police, Fire and Ambulance) where an emergency or disaster is beyond the resources of those services.

What type of people are involved in SES?

The SES relies on the generosity of people from all walks of life. The younger and the older. The fit and the not so fit. We have members that are nurses, wharfies, loader drivers, accountants, child care workers, retried and unemployed.

There is a role for everyone in the SES

If I joined the SES, what types of things would I be asked to do?

It depends where you live, how much time you can offer, and how much training you are prepared to undertake. SES volunteers are called out to a wide range of activations.

You could be involved in:

Assisting police in the search for a missing person or at a crime scene
Assisting at road crashes
Providing traffic control, lighting, communications support
Going out in a flood boat to rescue a marooned person or to drop supplies to people cut of in the Wet Season
Putting tarpaulins on houses unroofed by severe storms or cyclones
Removing fallen trees and cleaning up debris after a severe storm or cyclone
Conducting a public education display at your local show or in your local shopping centre
Providing emergency lighting for aero-medical activities
Conducting fundraising events for your Unit

You will never be compelled to take part in an activation or to undergo training in something of which you are afraid or dislike.

Who can join the SES?

We seek mature minded members of the community that are over the age of 18.

What could I expect to learn with the SES?

First Aid
Map reading and navigation
How to operate a two-way radio
Basic rescue
Rescue from Heights and Depths
Road accident rescue
Flood boat rescue
Emergency operations management
Storm damage response
Land search techniques
Leadership and team-building
Instructional techniques (training others)

How much will it cost me to be in the SES?

Cash? Zero. Commitment? Plenty!

All Volunteers are provided with complete protective clothing. There are no joining fees. All education and training programs are provided free of charge. Equipment is provided.

If you are injured in any way whilst on an SES activation or at training, you will be fully covered by Workers Compensation.

Training Nights?

SES training nights are in the contact us section of the website

Where can I get more information?

Contact the Local Controller, Andy Bickerton at the Somerset Regional Council on 07 5424 4000 or email abickerton@somerset.qld.gov.au.