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Joining the SES

The SES - Always There Always Aware

The State Emergency Service (SES) is a volunteer organisation, established by an Act of Parliament in 1975. Under the Act, every local authority in Queensland is responsible for maintaining SES Units within their communities. The SES Units are made up of local people who have volunteered to prepare themselves and their communities to minimise the effects of a disaster. SES volunteers to not receive payment.

Under the motto, "Be Aware", the basic concept of the SES is to encourage self-help and mutual assistance within each community. The SES Units support the statutory services (Police, Fire and Ambulance) where an emergency or disaster is beyond the resources of those services.

If I joined the SES, what types of things would I be asked to do?

It depends where you live, how much time you can offer, and how much training you are prepared to undertake.

SES volunteers are called out to a wide range of activations.

You could be involved in:

Assisting police in the search for a missing person
Performing a vertical rescue of a bushwalker fallen over a cliff or a worker trapped up a silo
Conducting a road accident rescue in rural areas or assisting the Fire Service in urban area
Providing traffic control, lighting, communications support to other services at a major accident or event such as bushfires or a mining accident
Going out in a floodboat to rescue a marooned person or to drop supplies to people cut of in the Wet Season
Putting tarpaulins on houses unroofed by severe storms or cyclones
Removing fallen trees and cleaning up debris after a severe storm or cyclone
Conducting a public education display at your local show or in your local shopping centre
Providing emergency lighting for aero-medical activities
Conducting fundraising events for your Unit
You will never be compelled to take part in an activation or to undergo training in something of which you are afraid or dislike.

Who can join the SES?

Any Queenslander aged over 16 years can become an SES Volunteer. There is a role for everyone - young people, older adults, men and women, people who are super-fit, people of average health and people with disabilities. Everyone can learn new skills and make their own contribution. Emergency Services Cadet Units have been established in a number of communities for young people at high school. See the Emergency Services Cadets website for more information.

What could I expect to learn with the SES?

First Aid
Map reading and navigation
How to operate a two-way radio
Basic rescue
Rescue from Heights and Depths
Road accident rescue
Floodboat rescue
Emergency operations management
Storm damage response
Land search techniques
Leadership and team-building
Instructional techniques (training others)
Local SES Units conduct training programs in their own communities with support provided at the district and state level.

How much will it cost me to be in the SES?

Cash? Zero. Commitment? Plenty!

All Volunteers are provided with complete protective clothing. There are no joining fees. All education and training programs are provided free of charge. Equipment is provided.

If you are injured in any way whilst on an SES activation or at training, you will be fully covered by Workers Compensation.

Where can I get more information?

To find out how to join, or for more information about SES in your area, contact your nearest EMQ Regional or Area Office.

Contact details for your local SES Unit can also be found in the White Pages under ‘State Emergency Service’ or under your local Council listing.