The department's emergency management policies aim to build resilience and minimise the impact of emergencies on Victorians, especially people most at risk.
2020 Emergency preparedness forums
The Department of Health and Human Services host emergency preparedness forums each year to provide service providers with practical advice, guidance and resources to support them to prepare effectively for an emergency.
The 2020 forums have now concluded.
Resources from the forums
The following Emergency Management resources were presented at the forums and are available to use.
Emergency management and health protection web links
The Emergency Management and Health Protection Web Links (Word) provides a starting point to assist health and human service sector planning and readiness for a range of emergencies. The links are provided as a general resource and are not exhaustive.
The material covers:
- COVID-19 information and resources
- health protection
- planning
- planning with people who have a disability
- power outages
- links to Apps including VicEmergency.
Emergency preparedness forums videos
Dr Angie Bone Seasonal Update video
Emergency Management Forum interview video
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) seasonal update video
Bureau of Meteorology Seasonal Update video
Emergency preparedness forums – Preparing for emergencies presentation
Emergency Preparedness and Engagement Forums - Preparing for emergencies (pptx)
Emergency preparedness reference guide (2019)
Preparing for emergencies: A reference guide for organisations in the Health and Community Services Sectors is a resource for organisations across both the health sector and the community services sector to plan for and effectively respond to external emergencies.
Who should use the reference guide?
Organisations that identify as being part of the broader health sector and community services sector that provide services to clients can use the reference guide. It provides tips and advice for developing an emergency management plan.
Emergency management policy
The Health and Human Services Sector Emergency Management Policy supports the health and human services sector to maximise the health, wellbeing and safety of Victorians who access services by defining responsibilities and requirements to prepare for emergencies.
The policy applies to services that are:
- Directly delivered by the department
- Agencies delivering services that are funded by the department, as outlined in service agreements, funding plans and other relevant performance agreement documentation
- Any other agency or service provider, as stated in contractual agreements or regulatory/registration requirements, including quality and safeguards for disability service providers involved in the transfer of Government services.
Agencies who do not meet any of the above conditions are out of scope of the policy.
Resources to assist with emergency preparedness activities include:
- Preparing for emergencies: A reference guide for organisations in the Health and Community Services Sectors
- Emergency management policy – FAQs
Family Violence Framework for Emergency Management
The Family Violence Framework for Emergency Management supports planning and response to family violence during and after emergencies.
For more information about the framework, see:
- Family violence in emergencies
- Emergency management sector - what you can do
- Family violence resources.
Vulnerable people in emergencies policy
The Vulnerable people in emergencies policy (Word) integrates emergency preparedness planning with the delivery of funded services.
The policy applies to organisations funded by the department to provide personal care, support and/or case management services to clients living in the community within the 64 municipal council areas wholly or partly covered by the Country Fire Authority districts.
The policy also outlines funded services and municipal councils’ roles in screening and maintaining information on a vulnerable persons register. The register is specifically for people who require support from authorities to evacuate in the event of an emergency.
The Vulnerable people in emergencies policy is supported by three guidelines:
- Guideline 1 – Emergency Planning and Screening
- Guideline 2 – Vulnerable Persons Register
- Guideline 3 – Vulnerable Persons Register: Getting Started
An evaluation of the Vulnerable Persons Registers, a key component of the vulnerable people in emergencies policy, was undertaken by the department in 2019. A summary of the findings is available in the Vulnerable Persons Registers evaluation - Summary of key findings and next steps January 2020 (word).
For tailored information, including how to use the register, see the Vulnerable Persons Register.
Promoting financial resilience to emergencies through home and contents insurance strategy
The Promoting financial resilience to emergencies through home and contents insurance strategy (PDF) supports the Victorian community to understand the importance of home and contents insurance as a key pillar of their financial resilience and emergency preparedness.
It also support Victorians to build the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed decisions relating to their financial resilience and emergency preparedness.
Insure it. It’s worth it toolkit
We partnered with Good Shepherd Microfinance to develop the Insure it. It’s worth it toolkit to help financially prepare individuals and families if things go wrong.
This toolkit provides practical information and advice about the importance of home and contents insurance to reduce emergency-related financial risk and promote effective recovery.
The toolkit uses a simple approach to encourage you to check your financial readiness, understand the financial effects of a disaster and to start a conversation about financial wellbeing.
The Insure it. It's worth it toolkit is available to download on the Good Shepherd website.