Purpose
To provide policy, procedure and best practice regarding the role of a State Duty Officer within the Surf Emergency Response System.
Policy
A coordinated system of control/command/communication is required at Club, Branch and State level for any major emergency and/or after-hours incident that may occur.
The flow of communication from external agencies to the correct lifesaving services is essential to ensure an optimal response of appropriate resources in a coordinated, efficient and effective manner.
At the upper level of this system sits the role of the State Duty Officer.
Procedure
State Duty Officer – Definition
A Board appointed role within SLSNSW which provides operational communication, command, coordination and external liaison to emergency incidents within NSW. The rostered State Duty Officer will have delegation of authority from Surf Life Saving NSW while on shift.
State Duty Officer – Objectives
To provide communication, incident command, coordination and liaison support to all lifesaving services for search and rescue emergencies (including SLSC, Support Operations, SLS Life Saver Helicopters, Council Lifeguards, ALS Lifeguards).
Scope of Operation – Coverage
The State Duty Officer role shall operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year within the Surf Emergency Response System.
Roles and Responsibilities
Primarily the State Duty Officer is responsible for:
- Acting as the single, central Surf Life Saving contact/liaison for communications/tasking bodies within NSW Police, Fire, Ambulance, AMSA, SES, ADF, BOM, DPI for any search and rescue incident or natural disaster (flood, tsunami, fire) in NSW.
- Informing lifesaving services of a search and rescue incident (as advised by external agencies) which will see them respond their specific resources under their specific ‘command’ structure.
- Acting as the SLSNSW lifesaving agency ‘controller’ for all operations in the event of a major emergency or natural disaster.