Health Emergency Response core capability

The planning, provisioning, response and co-ordination of pre-hospital and health emergency care, including triage, treatment and distribution of patients, in a timely and structured manner, using all available resources to maximise positive health outcomes.

Table 30: Agency roles mapped to the VPF, by critical tasks within the Health Emergency Response core capability

Critical Task 14.1: Identify existing and developing health risks.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
AV	The role of AV is to respond to requests for pre-hospital emergency care	14.2, 14.4

	The role of AV is to provide health support to patients undergoing decontamination	14.2, 14.4, 14.7, 16.9

	AV has responsibility for co-ordination the areas of relief medical assistance and first aid	14.8, 15.2, 15.4

DJPR	DJPR is a key support agency for foodborne illness	3.2

LSV	Provision of first aid and other medical response support services to AV (as co-responder/emergency medical responder)	3.2, 14.2

	Provision of support to lead agencies for pre-hospital care for people affected by emergencies	3.2, 14.2

Critical Task 14.2: Assess patients.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
Airservices	ARFFS provides assistance to state agencies in other emergencies that causes or threatens to cause death or injury to persons, damage to property, harm to the environment and disruption to essential services. These services include provision of first aid services on or in the vicinity of designated airports	3.2

AV	The role of AV is to respond to requests for pre-hospital emergency care	14.1, 14.4

	The role of AV is to triage patients and determine treatment priority	14.3, 14.7

	The role of AV is to provide pre-hospital clinical care	14.3, 14.7, 14.8

	The role of AV is to provide health support to patients undergoing decontamination	14.1, 14.4, 14.7, 16.9

	AV is lead agency for the relief activity of co-ordinating pre hospital care	3.1, 14.8

CFA	Provide key support for EMR from designated stations to relevant events to support AV	3.2, 14.4

ESTA	Provide clinical triage and pre-ambulance life support advice via the telephone and access to specialist referral services as required for medical emergencies	13.4, 14.4, 14.8

FRV	Provide continuous protection of life, property and the environment from the effects of fire, accidents and other hazards through EMR to relevant, as defined, events to support AV within the FRV Fire District	3.2, 14.4

LSV	Provision of first aid and other medical response support services to AV (as co-responder/emergency medical responder)	3.2, 14.1

	Provision of support to lead agencies for pre-hospital care for people affected by emergencies	3.2, 14.1

	Provision of support to lead agencies for health and medical relief (first aid) assistance measures	3.2, 14.7

St John Ambulance	Provide response and resources within the scope of the first aid sub-plan to the SHERP, e.g., Mobile first aid vehicles, first aid/first responder trained teams, medical assistance teams and provides standalone communication system all supported by a self-sufficient logistics operation	14.4, 14.7

	Provide response and resources to other emergency service agencies and public, e.g., Mobile first aid vehicles, first aid/first responder trained teams, medical assistance teams and provides standalone communication system all supported by a self-sufficient logistics operation	14.4, 14.7

	Provide first aid and medical services support to community within the scope of SHERP	15.2

	Support agency for the provision of first aid and medical services to other emergency service agencies and public	3.2, 14.7

	Support for AV and DHHS with first aid and medical services within the scope of the SHERP	3.2, 14.7

Critical Task 14.3: Establish primary patient treatment points.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
AV	The role of AV is to triage patients and determine treatment priority	14.2, 14.7

	The role of AV is to provide pre-hospital clinical care	14.2, 14.7, 14.8

	AV is lead agency for the relief activity of establishing field primary care clinics or other health relief assistance measures as directed by the State Health Commander	3.1, 14.4, 15.1, 15.2

LSV	Provision of support to lead agencies for the establishment and resourcing of field primary care clinics	3.2, 14.4

Critical Task 14.4: Deploy specialised resources as required.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
AV	The role of AV under the SHERP is to deploy a Health Commander to direct the operational health response	3.1, 3.2, 14.5, 14.6, 14.8

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to activate other key SHERP position holders or mobile specialist teams	3.2, 14.6, 14.8

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to liaise with control agencies to ensure the safety of responders, health care workers, and the public for identified and emergent risks from an incident. This includes activation of personal support arrangements	3.2, 15.5

	The role of AV is to respond to requests for pre-hospital emergency care	14.1, 14.2

	The role of AV is to provide health support to patients undergoing decontamination	14.1, 14.2, 14.7, 16.9

	AV is lead agency for the relief activity of establishing field primary care clinics or other health relief assistance measures as directed by the State Health Commander	3.1, 14.3, 15.1, 15.2

CFA	Provide key support for EMR from designated stations to relevant events to support AV	3.2, 14.2

DHHS	Through the SHERP, ensure a safe, effective co-ordinated health and medical response to emergency incidents that go beyond day-to-day arrangements	3.2, 14.6, 14.8

	Access additional resources for the provision of appropriate care during an emergency with major health consequences	14.6

	Co-ordinate the training, development and deployment of suitably-qualified health professionals to enable Victoria to contribute to national or international deployments of health and medical teams, when requested by an interstate government, or by the Australian Government under AUSASSISTPLAN	3.2

ESTA	Provide clinical triage and pre-ambulance life support advice via the telephone and access to specialist referral services as required for medical emergencies	13.4, 14.2, 14.8

	Dispatch appropriate emergency response resources and support them with situational awareness information through operational communication networks	3.2, 7.3, 12.4

	Provide continuous protection of life, property and the environment from the effects of fire, accidents and other hazards through EMR to relevant, as defined, events to support AV within the FRV Fire District	3.2, 14.2

LSV	Provision of support to lead agencies for the establishment and resourcing of field primary care clinics	3.2, 14.3

Services Australia	Implement agreements with States, Territories and Commonwealth agencies, and outline the arrangements in place with States, Territories and Commonwealth agencies for the provision of support services in the event that their resources are overwhelmed during an emergency. Note: Other agreements outline the arrangements between the department and policy agencies about how they will work together to deliver the best possible services (within their portfolio of responsibility) to the community	1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 3.2, 7.3, 12.4

	Services Australia may also provide the service of having 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, 6.1, 15.4, 15.5, 20.6

	The agency may also provide National Emergency Call Centre surge capacity on behalf of the Victorian Government on a cost recovery basis, under a separate agreement	3.2, 3.4, 3.5

St John Ambulance	Provide response and resources within the scope of the first aid sub-plan to the SHERP, e.g., Mobile first aid vehicles, first aid/first responder trained teams, medical assistance teams and provides standalone communication system all supported by a self-sufficient logistics operation	14.2, 14.7

	Provide response and resources to other emergency service agencies and public, e.g., Mobile first aid vehicles, first aid/first responder trained teams, medical assistance teams and provides standalone communication system all supported by a self-sufficient logistics operation	14.2, 14.7

Critical Task 14.5: Undertake and co-ordinate patient transport.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
AV	The role of AV under the SHERP is to deploy a Health Commander to direct the operational health response	3.1, 3.2, 14.4, 14.6, 14.8

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to assemble and lead the Health Incident Management Team	3.1, 14.6, 14.8

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to initially notify receiving hospitals of patients	3.4, 14.6

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to support the Evacuation Manager in evacuating vulnerable people	3.2, 5.2, 14.6

	The role of AV is to transport and distribute patients to appropriate medical care	14.6, 14.8

Coroners Court of Victoria	To facilitate the transportation of deceased persons to a coronial mortuary	8.4, 8.5

St John Ambulance	Support of AV through the provision of non-emergency patient transport as a licenced operator	3.2

	Provision of community transport services	15.2

Critical Task 14.6: Work with hospitals to identify strategies and resources that may be implemented in response to a surge in demand.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
AV	The role of AV under the SHERP is to deploy a Health Commander to direct the operational health response	3.1, 3.2, 14.4, 14.5, 14.8

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to assemble and lead the Health Incident Management Team	3.1, 14.5, 14.8

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to activate other key SHERP position holders or mobile specialist teams	3.2, 14.4, 14.8

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to initially notify receiving hospitals of patients	3.4, 14.5

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to support the Evacuation Manager in evacuating vulnerable people	3.2, 5.2, 14.5

	The role of AV is to transport and distribute patients to appropriate medical care	14.5, 14.8

DHHS	Through the SHERP, ensure a safe, effective co-ordinated health and medical response to emergency incidents that go beyond day-to-day arrangements	3.2, 14.4, 14.8

	Access additional resources for the provision of appropriate care during an emergency with major health consequences	14.4

	DHHS is state lead agency for the recovery activity of maintaining community access to primary and acute health services through DHHS funded health care services and other primary and acute health services	13.1, 13.3, 14.8

Critical Task 14.7 Provide treatment and ongoing medical care.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
AV	The role of AV is to triage patients and determine treatment priority	14.2, 14.3

	The role of AV is to provide pre-hospital clinical care	14.2, 14.3, 14.8

	The role of AV is to provide health support to patients undergoing decontamination	14.1, 14.2, 14.4, 16.9

LSV	Provision of support to lead agencies for health and medical relief (first aid) assistance measures	3.2, 14.2

St John Ambulance	Provide response and resources within the scope of the first aid sub-plan to the SHERP, e.g., Mobile first aid vehicles, first aid/first responder trained teams, medical assistance teams and provides standalone communication system all supported by a self-sufficient logistics operation	14.2, 14.4

	Provide response and resources to other emergency service agencies and public, e.g., Mobile first aid vehicles, first aid/first responder trained teams, medical assistance teams and provides standalone communication system all supported by a self-sufficient logistics operation	14.2, 14.4

	Support agency for the provision of first aid and medical services to other emergency service agencies and public	3.2, 14.2

	Support for AV and DHHS with first aid and medical services within the scope of the SHERP	3.2, 14.2

Critical Task 14.8: Co-ordinate across the health sector to provide advanced clinical care, speciality services, and investigations required for patient treatment and care.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
AV	Co-ordinate a Public Access Defibrillation program, and Community Emergency Response Teams	1.2, 3.3, 3.5

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to deploy a Health Commander to direct the operational health response	3.1, 3.2, 14.4, 14.5, 14.6

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to assemble and lead the Health Incident Management Team	3.1, 14.5, 14.6

	The role of AV under the SHERP is to activate other key SHERP position holders or mobile specialist teams	3.2, 14.4, 14.6

	The role of AV is to provide pre-hospital clinical care	14.2, 14.3, 14.7

	The role of AV is to transport and distribute patients to appropriate medical care	14.5, 14.6

	AV has responsibility for co-ordination the areas of relief medical assistance and first aid	14.1, 15.2, 15.4

	AV is lead agency for the relief activity of co-ordinating pre hospital care	3.1, 14.2

DHHS	Through the SHERP, ensure a safe, effective co-ordinated health and medical response to emergency incidents that go beyond day-to-day arrangements	3.2, 14.4, 14.6

	Direct the strategic health response during an emergency with major health consequences	3.1

	DHHS is state lead agency for the recovery activity of maintaining community access to primary and acute health services through DHHS funded health care services and other primary and acute health services	13.1, 13.3, 14.6

ESTA	Provide clinical triage and pre-ambulance life support advice via the telephone and access to specialist referral services as required for medical emergencies	13.4, 14.2, 14.4