IGEM Report 1: 2017-18 - THE CYCLONE DEBBIE REVIEW

The Cyclone Debbie Review

Requests for Assistance

Themes

The process for providing capability support is known by its nature: a Request for Assistance (Requests). The Requests must “provide the required description, quantity and delivery time detail to ensure efficient and timely resource delivery.” 129 If the district is unable to source the assistance from another council or state agency representative on their group, that Request is escalated to the state level. State in turn may ask the Australian Government for assistance. In Debbie, the number of Requests was smaller compared to previous events. The response to Requests that were passed up the system did not always meet expectations. Some initiators said that Requests took too long to be processed. Others spoke of many phone calls, all from different people, about each Request; asking if it was accurate and “really needed.” Some were denied because the wording was not clear, highlighting the need for further training and guidance. We also heard that, on occasion, denials were justified. More than one utility pro- vider commented on the difficult process associated with the provision of Australian Defence Force assistance. At state level, roles and responsibilities in the State Disaster Management Plan guide the necessary staffing requirements for an agency to fulfil its functions. During Debbie the activation of the SDCG, SDCC and DCCSDS Recovery Ready Reserve m were further triggers for the provision of government staff. Utilities activated contingency plans, sometimes with interstate providers, under industrial and workplace instruments to ensure available staffing. Disaster districts – a subset of state capacity – have the full resources of the Queensland Police Service to draw on, 130 in addition to their district group members. Staffing

One simply wanted to know, quickly, whether they needed to look further for support. Another made the point that, as a commercial business, if they asked, they really had exhausted their usual options. Planning helps to identify the potential resources required by a group to prepare for, respond to and recover from a disaster. From a resource management perspective it is important for the system to be aware of what is available within the council area and how to get it. All groups have the ability to hire locally available resources if they require extra capacity to deal with disasters. If the local groups are unable to access resources, logistics planners need to know what is available at the broader district and at the state-level to ensure Requests are met quickly. One of the resources deployed to Debbie’s potential impact zone were generators. Power failures were expected after the crossing, and access to affected areas was predicted to be difficult. The agencies responsible for this deployment provided high levels of support to the relevant groups and were praised for their flexibility in responding to a changing environment. Though local groups formed by councils manage disasters in their local area, this does not imply that council employees must perform all the roles needed during disaster operations. In some circumstances councils may not have enough staff or staff with the right expertise. Local group members share the responsibility, and council local disaster management plans may include community organisations or groups to fulfil roles such as evacuation centre management, dependant on their presence in each community. Despite plans and agreements, there were reports of at least one organisation not being able to support local groups due to capacity issues.

Finding The arrangements about Requests for Assistance are complex. Whether from resources within the state, or from the Defence Assistance to the Civil Community, they involve funding, bureaucracy and authorisation. A range of obstacles was evident to initiators, slowing the timely delivery of support.

Recommendation The provision of system-wide education, guidance and testing to enhance Requests for Assistance is strengthened.

Notes m. When Queensland communities are hit by cyclones, floods or other disasters, the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services draws together a temporary community recovery workforce of public servants from across Queensland to help out.

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6 THEMES

Capability: Requests for Assistance • Staffing