Culture and community at heart of brand-new VICSES Officer Unit

The City of Cardinia in Melbourne’s southeast is set to benefit from an increased emergency service presence, with the addition of the brand new, state-of-the-art Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) Officer Unit.

One of four new VICSES units across the state set to be opened before the end of the year, the VICSES Officer Unit’s cohort of volunteers will play a vital role in supporting their community through periods of flood and storm, and maintain important relationships with their local partner emergency service agencies.

VICSES Officer Unit Controller Jess Rice and her volunteers joined Pakenham MP Emma Vulin, alongside key VICSES staff at the unit’s official opening event on 7 December, celebrating the extensive work which has gone into establishing the unit in recent months.

A former VICSES Emerald Unit Deputy Controller with more than six years of experience with VICSES, Jess has placed a key focus on building camaraderie and culture among her volunteers as they begin to turn out to requests for assistance (RFAs) in their local community.

Having previously spent time involved in Urban Search and Rescue as a search dog trainer before being invited to a VICSES training evening by a friend, Jess has quickly risen through the ranks with VICSES, where her commitment to her members has repeatedly shone both in the field, and in a unit setting.

Her drive to develop trust, accountability and vulnerability at member training nights has created a diverse volunteer cohort driven to learn and improve their emergency response, each with an appreciation of VICSES’ ‘We Work As One’ approach to emergency management in partnership with other first responders.

While this week saw local unit volunteers officially activated to respond to local emergencies for the first time, volunteers have been working hard in recent months responding to incidents alongside neighbouring VICSES units including Pakenham and Emerald to develop confidence in the field.

The fit-for-purpose VICSES Officer Unit will also provide ample space for volunteers to continue to train and refine this emergency response capability, with capacity to cater for up to 70 volunteers.

The state-of-the-art headquarters features six drive-through motor bays, a kitchen, training room, office space and other amenities, including solar panels, a backup generator and wheelchair accessibility.

The VICSES Officer Unit will aim to grow alongside its community, with population figures in the City of Cardinia expected to double by 2030.

To find out more about volunteering with VICSES, visit www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us.

Quotes attributable to Jess Rice, VICSES Officer Unit Controller:

“Developing the VICSES Officer Unit from its inception has been really exciting, and it’s fantastic to see our volunteers well trained and prepared to provide support to community members in their time of need.

“Our state-of-the-art facility is the ideal place to prepare our volunteers for their experiences in the field, and I look forward to our local community witnessing first-hand the committed culture we’ve developed.”

Quotes attributable to Cain Trist, Deputy Chief Officer, Service Delivery (Eastern):

“The brand-new VICSES Officer Unit is a shining example of VICSES’ ongoing commitment to provide timely emergency support to all Victorians in need.

“We’re excited to see the important role our VICSES Officer Unit volunteers can play in their community for many years to come, supported by a fit-for-purpose, modern base of operations.”