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One of the key recommendations that arose from these workshops and has
since become and integral component of EM and Preparedness in Australia is
something called the 'All hazards' approach. Basically,
this approach is to develop
preparedness and response plans that incorporate the 'all hazards' approach -
really one plan that can be activated with the flexibility to be adapted to all
incidents.
This policy is captured in the 2004 Emergency
Management Act. The Emergency Management Act 2004 establishes a framework for
the management of emergencies. Its major parts deal with:
- the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) - establishment,
membership, functions and powers, including the power to create advisory
groups
- co-ordination - through the Commissioner of Police, as State Co-ordinator,
and assistants
- the management of emergencies, including:
-
- their classification as major incidents, major emergencies or disasters
- recovery operations.
The Act replaces the State Disaster Act 1980, and is consistent with the
Government's policy on emergency management, protective security and
counter-terrorism. It shifts the focus from 'disaster management' to a flexible
'all hazards' framework that applies to planning, coordination and control for
any emergency.
Their philosophy is to treat all emergencies
the same in terms of policy, jurisdictional relationships, partnerships,
agreements, communications, information sharing, and so forth. There are
obviously response hardware differences according to the event type, such as
required for radiation versus fire versus a bomb threat. However, the policies
and procedures - the plan - are almost identical for all event
types.
I am not sure how similar or dissimilar this approach is from what DHS is
doing. However, they Aussies are a bit mystified by what appears to be a
fragmented approach in the US.
Carl Reed, PhD
CTO and Executive Director Specification
Program
OGC
The OGC: Helping the World to Communicate Geographically
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