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

Inspector-General Emergency Management

Deployment

Themes

Another way organisations increase their capability in disaster events is to move staff from one location to another. This process is known as deployment. Deployments can occur before an event commences or during an event. If deployment has occurred before an event it is referred to as pre-deployment. Prior to Debbie crossing the coast there was much pre-deployment from a number of organisations. Staff from Central and South East Queensland were moved to North Queensland to provide extra capacity. They moved to ensure there was enough support for the community in areas planners believed were going to be heavily impacted by the event. We heard of direct benefits. The pre-deployment of QFES staff and the QPS reinforced a feeling of safety for some community members in the Burdekin Region. We also recognise the indirect training benefits of early deployment: of greater exposure to disaster management operations for those without the experience. Due to the nature of the tropical cyclone and the associated flooding the pre- deployment also provided challenges for disaster managers. The initial planning focus was the response to the cyclone crossing. The deployments were based on previous knowledge of cyclone behaviour. However, Debbie did not cross the coast as quickly as anticipated which resulted in a number of staff being deployed and then waiting for a lengthy period of time to be utilised. This highlights two related issues about the sector’s sustainability. Sustainability

The DCCSDS resources community recovery programs by deploying staff known as the Ready Reserves. The staff base for the Ready Reserves traditionally came from DCCSDS staff complemented by “volunteer” staff released by other government departments. During Debbie two factors affected their capacity. The DCCSDS has a smaller workforce after the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, reducing the pool of experienced people available for recovery, and providing planning challenges. Additionally, other agencies did not release their staff in the numbers required. Fortunately, the interstate recovery memorandum of understanding allowed for staff from South Australia and Victoria to be deployed. We mentioned earlier the difficulty in getting departmental media staff to training for the SDCC. In a system where departmental staff with specialist skills are needed to support disaster operations, it is important that they are encouraged by supportive leadership to take part, and that solid agreements are in place to ensure their release for training, exercising and deployments. The first was that deployed staff from South East and Central Queensland were unavailable to their local groups when the subsequent flooding was predicted. Staff were then recalled to provide assistance in their own communities. The ability to move staff around is a benefit of the disaster management arrangements in Queensland and highlights the scalability of the system. To do this effectively though, it is important to have adequate business continuity plans and well-trained deputies to ensure capability can be sustained in a region in case of a concurrent event.

Finding Carefully planned pre-deployment of trained staff enhanced capability, ensuring rapid relief and recovery activities. This was evident for state agencies, non-government organisations and critical infrastructure providers. Triggers for, and models of, deployment

should continue to be refined using learnings from Debbie.

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The Cyclone Debbie Review

Lessons for delivering value and confidence through trust and empowerment