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15.5.8. The Red Cross
The Red Cross is a major not-for-profit organisation who provide assistance in emergency situations.
The Red Cross also play an important role in community education and prevention. Examples of this
include the Bushfire – Preparing to Leave Early booklet, and associated campaigns.
The Red Cross have been working with particular groups in the Adelaide Hills, such as older people and
people with disabilities, to help them plan for bushfire events. Such programs may become increasingly
relevant to urban communities such as Western Adelaide as extreme weather events become more
frequent and intense with climate change.
15.5.9. Local Government
Local Government play a number of important roles in the community with respect to emergency
management.
Among the most significant of these is
information provision
, whereby Councils provide information to
the community about the best agency to contact in the event of an emergency.
As
providers of public facilities and programs
, Councils play a role in ensuring public safety in its
facilities/programs in the event of an emergency. This has already emerged as an issue for some Local
Governments across the State who are developing different policies regarding the use of Council facilities
such as libraries on extreme hot weather days.
Local Government also has an emergency management role as an
employer
. A changing climate and
more frequent and intense weather events may require Councils to develop new policies and emergency
responses to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its staff.
Under the
Local Government Act 1999
and the
Emergency Management Act 2004
, Council is required to
develop and maintain an
Emergency Response Plan
. Some Councils do fulfil this obligation through
detailed emergency management plans while others have shorter policies which formally articulate the
role of Local Government in emergency management.
The Local Government Association has recently released the
Extreme Heat Guide for Local Government
in SA
to guide Councils on dealing with heat waves. It cautions Councils about directly providing ‘refuge’
services (LGA 2012).
15.5.10.
Emergency Management Zones
The State is divided into Emergency Management Zones. These Zones are based, with the exception of
the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu/Kangaroo Island Zone, on the Government Reform Commission Uniform
Regional Boundaries. This means that the Western Adelaide region is entirely located within one
Emergency Management Zone.
