Building Community Resilience core capability

Building community safety and resilience includes working together at the local level. Communities can strengthen their lifelines by better connecting and working together with appropriate support from organisations. Build on combined community and organisational strengths across all phases of an emergency through the below critical tasks.

Critical Task Table 6: Agency roles mapped to the VPF, by critical tasks within the Building Community Resilience core capability

 

Critical Task 6.1: Connecting with people and by supporting them to use their networks to communicate effectively.

Agency Activity Additional alignment to critical tasks
ARC Build community resilience and social connectedness through programs, services, engagement, and emergency management planning activities to enable communities to develop initiatives through local volunteer networks and connections. 1.2, 6.2, 6.4
AV Support the building of individual and community-based pre-hospital health literacy to improve community self-reliance and resilience.  

DE

Provide advice and suggested resources to non‑government schools

4.5

LSV

Develop and provide education in water safety and associated messaging, first aid, CPR, swimming and lifesaving programs at swimming pools, open water locations, schools and lifesaving clubs including accredited training for Personal Water Craft and Inflatable Rescue Boats

2.1, 6.4

NBN Co If appropriate, and subject to availability, deploy temporary emergency management solutions connectivity to relief centres. 15.3,

Services Australia

Have staff available with specialist skills (for example social workers, community engagement officers, indigenous service officers) to work with disaster affected individuals and communities in relation to Services Australia payments and services

3.2, 14.4, 15.4, 15.5, 20.6

VicPol

Build social capital and resilience in communities to prepare for a sustained recovery from extreme emergencies and natural disasters through providing information and education in the media and other means

1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5

 

Critical Task 6.2: Using local knowledge to better understand and identify local needs.

Agency Activity Additional alignment to critical tasks
ARC

Build community resilience and social connectedness through engagement and emergency planning activities to empower communities to develop initiatives through local volunteer networks and connections

1.2, 6.4

AV Connecting with communities and people to develop and promote the use of local and individual alternative pre-hospital health options.  
CBC As required provide a situational awareness between the state level emergency management governance structures, border communities, and other jurisdictions. 2.16.4
Raise awareness of cross border emergency management issues through effective engagement with relevant departments, agencies and stakeholders to minimise adverse consequences of emergency events. 1.4
ERV Lead and coordinate state relief, and state and regional recovery planning across ERV’s five lines of recovery (people and wellbeing, Aboriginal culture and healing, environment and biodiversity, business and economy, and building and infrastructure), ensuring that emergency management plans appropriately encompass relief and recovery considerations that incorporate initiatives that build community resilience wherever this is possible   1.1
LSV

Provide expert advice on aquatic risk management systems and water safety signage  

2.1, 4.5

 

Critical Task 6.3: Working through likely scenarios to manage underlying stresses and cope with shocks that may continue to impact the community.

Agency Activity Additional alignment to critical tasks

CFA

Reduce the number of fires and hazardous incidents through broadening community awareness and preparedness to minimise the impact of an emergency on the community

2.1

DEECA

Energy:

  • Provide advice to communities on the installation and restoration of energy supplies that enhance resilience and mitigate the reliance on main energy supplies following an emergency

6.4, 6.6, 19.8

FRV Reduce the number of fires and hazardous incidents through broadening community awareness and preparedness to minimise the impact of an emergency on the community 2.1

St John Ambulance Australia (Victoria)

Promote and provide community first aid training through public education in schools, workplaces and to the public

2.1, 4.5

Volunteer Search and Rescue Organisations

Broaden community awareness and preparedness to minimise the impact of an emergency on the community

 
 

Critical Task 6.4: Working together to identify local context and develop local solutions.

Agency Activity Additional alignment to critical tasks

ARC

Build community resilience and social connectedness through programs, services, engagement, and emergency management planning activities to enable communities to develop initiatives through local volunteer networks and connections.

1.2, 6.1, 6.2

AV

Engage with communities to build resilience in preventing and managing emergencies, through targeted and general education programs.

 

CBC As required provide a situational awareness between the state level emergency management governance structures, border communities, and other jurisdictions. 2.1, 6.1

CFA

Engage with communities to build their resilience in preventing and managing emergencies, through targeted and general education programs

 

CMA

Prioritise regional flooding issues in cooperation with local government, VICSES and the community

1.5

Support community education and involvement on flooding issues

 

DEECA

Energy:

  • Provide advice to communities on the installation and restoration of energy supplies that enhance resilience and mitigate the reliance on main energy supplies following an emergency

6.3, 6.6, 19.8

DTP Coordinate and conduct road/public transport safety programs with community groups and other agencies 1.2, 1.46.5

FRV

Engage with communities to build their resilience in preventing and managing emergencies, through targeted and general education programs

 

LSV

Develop and provide education in water safety and associated messaging, first aid, CPR, swimming and lifesaving programs at swimming pools, open water locations, schools and lifesaving clubs including training for personal watercraft and inflatable rescue boats

2.1, 6.1

VICSES

Engage with communities to build their resilience in preventing and managing emergencies, through targeted and general education programs

 
Worksafe Coordinate and collaborate with WorkSafe agents, WorkSafe Victoria Claims and Recovery Support team, self-insurers and service providers as required, including by working in communities at a local level, to ensure continuity of service to the Victorian community and to strengthen community resilience 3.2
 

Critical Task 6.5: Sharing information and learning from experiences to make better decisions in the future.

Agency Activity Additional alignment to critical tasks
ATSB

Cooperate with police and emergency services when exercising powers of investigation and work in parallel with other investigative bodies, noting the limitations on release of information/evidence gathered by the ATSB under the Transport Safety Investigation Act. ATSB reports are inadmissible in civil or criminal proceedings except in limited circumstances such as coronial inquiries

3.13.2,4.44.5

Issue public reports on investigations, safety issues and reports on remedial safety actions 2.1, 4.5, 4.6, 21.1, 21.3, 21.5
DTP

Coordinate and conduct road/public transport safety programs with community groups and other agencies

1.2, 1.4, 6.4

 

Critical Task 6.6: Encouraging self-reliance by enabling communities to cope for up to 72 hours without significant external assistance.

Agency Activity Additional alignment to critical tasks
AV Coordinate Public Access Defibrillation programs, First Aid Training, and Community Emergency Response Teams  
DEECA

Energy - provide advice to communities on the installation and restoration of energy supplies that enhance resilience and mitigate the reliance on main energy supplies following an emergency

6.3, 6.4, 19.8