SA Firefighter

Noticed on the GRN pager website that four CFS brigades(from memory), CFS Burnside and two teams from Tea Tree Gully SES responded to the vertical rescue recovery operation at the Long Plains silo yesterday.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1529604.htm gives some details and this incident will now be covered by a coroner's inquest.

A TV news (I think ABC) showed a short segment with people from both organisations working together.

I personally thought it was great to see both organisations working together.

New version of the googleearth.exe software has been released from http://earth.google.com/. This is a 11,541 Kb download.

I was using an older version, but with the update that I downloaded this morning, business labels are now working.

After installing the update, your placenames are not changed which is good.

Adelaide hills are still not in detail but other parts of the state seem available.

Andrew Mac

Isn't this the purpose of SACAD being created ?

I thought that SACAD is to create a system (incl SOP, computer, processes, staffing, SLA, etc) so that all four emergency services have the same call receipt and dispatch system as well as standard processes.

The process of call taking triage and action to be taken by the operator is the difficult item that SES are currently reviewing.

For example, if a person calls with a tree down on the ground tasking, no (gas water electricity) services involved and SES SCC answers the call, the caller will be advised to contact tree lopper contractors. Not an emergency call.

A sample computer system that I have seen (I work for a company who has responded to the tender) thus far would allow an SAAS or SAFECOM operator to select all services required (be that SAAS, SES, CFS, MFS) at the same time to be alerted.

This hopefully will stop the problem of telephoning the other service Operations Control Centre, repeating the incident details via the telephone and then crews of that service being alerted. How long does that process currently take ?

My personal experience is that the SAAS operators do a great job under high stress. They need to calm and advise the caller of medical conditions, triage, etc, etc. This assisted my wife during a family emergency when an ambulance was required.

Rather than turning this thread into a 'SAAS Caller dispatcher' bashing (which I personally think it is getting close to), how about we acknowledge problems exist and think of ways around the problem !!

Not sure if the SES move should be a new topic. Will leave it to the moderators.

Last weekend the SES State Headquarters staff moved to Level 10, CPS Building. The CPS Building is on Waymouth street slightly towards King William St from the CFS building.

The Level 10 office area in the CPS Building is under an existing government lease for another organisation. But the  organisation was closed, so the office area was vacant.

SES SCC are in the process of moving from the shared Operations Room and will occupy a set of desks on Level 7 if the SES volunteers are activated. This is temporary setup until the new SES SCC is built in the MFS building.

The priority is for CFS SCC to be re-built first, then SES SCC. Also with the lack of available builders the temporary facility for SES SCC will be used until March 2006.

The new SES SCC will be good and has been designed with input from the SES State HQ Unit volunteers who mann the facility. Previously the space in the MFS building was the MFS Library.

The move is for multiple reasons. I have been advised some are:
* CFS SHQ need more room so that staff are located in a common area.
* CFS Operations Management were occupying a Conference Room on Level 7 during the last few months. The CFS will be revamping the expanded CFS SCC space so that the OCO's have better layout and the Operations Management area are included in the one area.
* SES is a seperate entity under new SAFECOM legislation and CFS need more office space. It is more logical for CFS to use existing facilities and SES to occupy smaller office space premisies. So SES moved.
* SES SCC is moving to MFS to take advantage of fibre voice cable to GRN and is part of the contract agreement.
* SES 'business as usual' call receipt & dispatch will move to MFS under a contract agreement. The CFS OCO's were doing the task under a 'gentlemans agreement'. The change will not occur until the new SES SCC is built and completed. This is anticipated in March 2006.
* This is all part of the SAFECOM and SACAD changes.

May I suggest that people have a look at the new websites of www.ses.sa.gov.au or www.sasesva.org.au for details.