New VICSES Cranbourne Unit to bolster response in city’s south-east

The brand-new Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) Cranbourne Unit officially unveiled today is set to service Melbourne’s outer south-eastern suburbs, providing increased emergency response capacity to one of the state’s largest growth corridors.

VICSES volunteers and staff joined Minister for Emergency Services The Hon. Jaclyn Symes at the formal opening of the VICSES Cranbourne Unit on 3 December, with the modern headquarters set to bolster emergency response throughout the City of Casey local government area and reduce reliance on volunteers from nearby units.

VICSES Cranbourne Unit is the first of four state-of-the-art VICSES units set to be unveiled this year, and marks the first time in 14 years VICSES has established a brand-new unit to service Victorian communities.

Led by longtime VICSES Frankston Unit Controller Brian McMannis, VICSES Cranbourne Unit is expected to cater to up to 50 volunteers at its capacity, with the unit’s inaugural cohort of more than 40 volunteers already trained and responding to storm, flood and other emergencies in their local community.

For 22-year-old volunteer Josh Premaka, an information evening held at Cranbourne Racecourse 12 months ago was the first step towards developing an impressive array of emergency response skills to provide support in his community.

Ten months after joining the VICSES Cranbourne Unit, Josh now has his chainsaw and safe working at heights (SWAHS) accreditation, and recently added crew leadership to his impressive emergency response resume, while still finding time to respond to more than 50 requests for assistance (RFAs) in the Cranbourne area and surrounds.

Cranbourne’s volunteers in orange have quickly become highly-visible members of their community, thanks largely to several large-scale storm emergencies impacting Melbourne’s east and southeast suburbs in recent months.

Josh said the time he’d dedicated to his local SES unit so far had been exceedingly rewarding, highlighting just how supportive the community had been of its new cohort of first responders.

Already the VICSES Cranbourne Unit facility has proved a valuable addition to local emergency response, with volunteers having attended more than 150 RFAs from their local community since coming online earlier this year.

With the City of Casey’s population expected to increase by more than 60 per cent before 2030, VICSES anticipates the brand-new unit will aid in retaining existing volunteers and facilitate the recruitment and further growth of the organisation’s volunteer-base throughout the south-east.

Six drive through motor bays at the modern headquarters will house VICSES Cranbourne Unit’s expanding fleet of vehicles and equipment, while other amenities of the facility include a kitchen, training room and ample office spaces.

The site also features a water tank and solar panels and can be powered by a backup generator if required.

The minister spoke with volunteers as she toured the facility today before unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.

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

For more information, visit www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-vicses-units-open-across-our-growing-suburbs.

Quotes attributable to Brian McMannis, VICSES Cranbourne Unit Controller:

“It’s been so exciting to work with and develop a brand-new cohort of VICSES volunteers who have shown such willingness to support their community in its time of need.

“Our headquarters provides a state-of-the-art space from which to conduct vital training and manage emergency operations, and will allow VICSES to continue building vital partnerships with its emergency service partners in the local area.”

Quotes attributable to Tim Wiebusch, VICSES Chief Operations Officer:

 “The official opening of VICSES Cranbourne Unit is a landmark moment for VICSES, as the first brand-new unit established in almost 15 years.

“We look forward to seeing our local volunteers prosper in their modern facility, which will allow them to appropriately bolster emergency response capability across the City of Casey and the wider Victorian community during major emergencies.”