The ABC in Brisbane has a good article explaining the training and preparation that the SES do throughout the year. The reporters visited Western Group and talked to Acting Group Leader Fiona Manning and Deputy Group Leader (Logistics) Peter Healey

The full article can be viewed at the ABC website.

The State Emergency Service (SES)  is a volunteer organisation made up of local people who have volunteered to prepare themselves and their communities in minimise the effects of a disaster. SES encourages self-help and mutual assistance within the community, and is the primary response agency for storm and flood emergencies.

The organisation is open to members from age 16 up (under 18 years old requires parent/guardian permission).  There are many tasks that the SES is involved in and there are roles for many members of the community. Membership is split almost 50% between men and women and is spread right across the age spectrum.

Western Group is one of ten groups that collectively form the Brisbane City SES Unit.  Our Group is located at Toowong and services the area from Milton to the Centennary suburbs and beyond. The other 9 Groups are based out of the following suburbs: Ascot, Kedron, Newmarket (Unit Headquarters is also here), Salisbury, Moreton Island, Moggill, Richlands and Morningside.

Brisbane City SES Unit have developed a centralised model for recruit training. This means that all new recruits across Brisbane undergo the same Recruit Training Package at the same time. We hold three intakes per year: January/February, May/June, September/October.

The recruitment package is a three step process and involves a series of dates that must be attended in order to become a probationary member. This includes a information evening, two induction sessions at your local group and a  recruit training weekend consisting of a Friday night, all day Saturday till late Saturday evening and half day Sunday.

All of these steps are compulsory to progress to the next step,  and they provide you with the basic skills and knowledge required to become a Community Member of the Queensland SES.  It will be a great opportunity to meet new members from other groups, as well as the experienced members from across the Unit that will be sharing there experience with you as your trainers.

To be eligible for membership you must be prepared to have a police check. New Recruits are also subject to a probation period of three months. There are some restrictions on the activities that probationary members can perform (mainly higher risk ones) but there is still plenty to be involved in once the core training is complete.

There are additional specialist training courses available to members throughout the year, these are run at Group, Unit and Regional levels. The majority of these courses are conducted on weekends - see the training calendar on this site for the types of training available. You are free to specialise in the areas that interest you.

There is a expectation of members to regularly attend training and keep their qualifications current and also to be available for support during activations where possible.  Western Group, and all other Brisbane Unit Groups, train every Monday night from 19:00 (7pm).

If you are interested in joining our group - you can register your interest and be placed on the Brisbane Unit waiting list. Please contact the Brisbane City SES Unit Management Team through the Brisbane City Council call centre on 3403 8888

If you live within another area of Brisbane that is not covered by Western Group and you are interested in joining please contact the Brisbane City SES  Unit Management Team through the Brisbane City Council call centre on 3403 8888. Your details will be taken and you will be placed on the waiting list to undertake recruit training. You will be contacted by a member of the Brisbane City SES  Unit Management Team within a few weeks, usually via email with some more information about becoming a SES Volunteer in Brisbane. Once there is a spot on a intake available, you will be contacted by phone to verify your availability and book you in.

If you live outside of the Brisbane Area and want to join your local SES Group - you can log your interest via the Emergency Management Queensland's website at http://www.emergency.qld.gov.au/ses.